Haunted: Mystere Du Le Kooza
by Zikka-chan
Summary: aka "Mystery of the Box" What happens when Trickster comes to Mystere...to make it his own? And what does Moha-Samedi have to do with it? SLASH WARNING: one-sided Trickster/Moha-Samedi. Loosely based off Alan Wake
1. Narrator and Trickster

Mystere/Kooza Crossover

Haunted

*Moha-Samedi, Trickster, and other characters of Mystere and Kooza are copyright Cirque Du Soleil. Storyline loosely based off Alan Wake. WARNING, subtly intended slash…maybe. It's up to you and your point of view. Written for Arixa on deviantart.

When the box had arrived in Mystere, no one knew what of think of it. Red bird and the lizards had been the first ones to find it, and then the other creatures had come onto the stage. Where had it come from?

The man in Pink, Moha-Samedi, ringmaster, emcee and narrator to the mysterious realm of time and life's mysteries, was the first to approach the box, cautiously, one of the babies clutching his leg fearfully. Suddenly, the box practically sprang open; revealing a jack…it was a giant jack in the box. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that it was that and nothing more…or so they thought.

Just as it seemed the jack was going to sink back from whence it came, it sprang out of the box, into the air and onto the stage. Everyone jumped back, immediately alarmed.

The sly looking jack, wearing a multi-striped suit of orange, blue and gold, looked around at everyone before his eyes rested on the emcee. His sly smile widened.

He introduced himself as the Trickster, the creator of Kooza, another realm in the universe of the Circus from the Sun. he explained that he was travelling from realm to realm, looking for new forms of inspiration for his world. Being a fellow artist, Moha-Samedi agreed that he could stay a few days…but he would be keeping an eye on him. After all, the narrator already had to deal with Brian Le petit, the story intruder, and didn't need another 'Trickster' running around causing mischief.

As the days passed, Trickster's stay seemed more of a blessing than anything. He would merely observe from afar the everyday going ons of the different characters. He even assisted the man in pink with quite a few different scenarios:

-When Bebe Francois's red ball popped, Trickster fixed it with a wave of his hand

-La Belle accidently sprained her wrist, and Trickster healed it simply by kissing her hand

-When the creatures and children were bored, Trickster entertained them with magic tricks

Even the man in pink had to admit, Trickster was far more helpful then he thought. Little did he know it, but Trickster had far more bigger plans for Mystere during his stay…much bigger.

It was night, Moha-Samedi was staying up late, working on his creations. In addition to being a very good ringmaster, he was also a multi-artist and genius in his own right. He had written ballads, composed music, written books and more. However, tonight, he had complete and utter writer's block. He couldn't even write a word on paper let alone think of what he wanted to write about.

Just as he was about to put the pen down and call it a night, He felt warm breath on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw trickster staring over his shoulder. Moha flinched.

"Sorry if I disturbed you," said the Trickster calmly, "but I felt an aura of frustrated distress from your domain."

Moha breathed a calming exhale. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to others reading over my shoulder…especially when I can't think of what to write…"

Trickster nodded thoughtfully, "well…what do you usually write about?"

"My world, my family…I know them best, you know."

Trickster nodded, taking in the thoughts like a teacher with a student. "You know, I've written quite a few stories about my world as well…why don't we work together to create a story on both our realms?"

Moha-Samedi blinked in surprise. It wasn't a bad idea, in fact it was a great idea, but… "I know nothing of your world though!"

"Not to worry," said Trickster matter-of-factly, "I know plenty of my world, and I've been in your world long enough…you take care of the writing and wording of the piece, I'll suggest how it should go."

Moha-Samedi nodded reluctantly, even thought it was late, he still wanted to get something accomplished before dawn, otherwise he wouldn't be in a good mood knowing he was still stuck with writer's block. However, as he began to write in rhythm of Trickster's voice, he suddenly felt as though he weren't there anymore. He felt as though he were watching someone else write, as if the Trickster's voice where putting him into some out-of-body trance. He watched as Trickster got up, still talking. He saw Trickster leaning down as though to check his visual work…but got uncomfortable as he saw trickster breathing down his neck. Yet he was still writing, his conscious was fading…

Moha-Samedi woke up at his desk, still slightly disoriented. He felt…groggy; whatever dream he had dreamt…then he noticed the pages in front of him. Nearly twenty or so pages of writing in front of him…when had he written this? Suddenly, a noise outside distracted him from reading the piece.

As he peeked out the window on top of the left stage balcony tower he called his domain, he noticed was appeared to be a tall, music box styled tower in the middle of the theater. Where had it come from?

As he made his way down to the stage, he noticed Bebe playing patty cake with whom appeared to be a smaller, more child like version of the trickster. He and Bebe stopped when they noticed Moha. He smiled and waved innocently. Suddenly, there was a shrieking noise in the air, and Bebe ran along with the innocent one into the tower before Moha-Samedi could stop them.

That's when he heard the sound of the chainsaw starting. He looked up and saw what appeared to be…a skeletal, feminine version of Brian le Petit…WITH CHAINSAWS FOR HANDS.

The creature shrieked again as it lunged itself onto the stage. Immediately remembering his phobia of chainsaws (and skeletons, in the case), he ran for cover into the tower…

Where a pair of arms immediately grabbed him, a hand covering his mouth.

"You're an idiot, y'know that?" The voice was female…rebellious and hard-spirited in nature. He muffled "I'm NOT an idiot!"

"Yeah, sure, and speaking some gibberish nobody understands ISN'T idiotic? Man, He was right…you are clueless. No wonder he wants to take advantage of you."

How did she know he spoke Cirquish? Wait, what did she mean by…

"Yeah, he actually treats me with just the respect he deserves, because I know how he works. You, on the other hand, opened the door right up."

He was confused, he felt tired and scared. What was she…

"The story." What? "The one you wrote with him, he used your talent and his magic to merge the worlds together. Since Kooza is his creation, and his creation is now merged with your world, he can control it…and you. What he wants with you apart from everyone else, I don't know."

Moha's heart jumped as flash back of the dream occurred to him…could he have done this. Trickster…why did he want Mystere. Why did he want HIM?

"Now do me a favor…breathe deep." A cloth was pressed to his face, and he couldn't fight out of exhaustion…

Dark water circled around him, he was floating…yet still standing. It was the strangest sensation, like being under water. A voice, a feminine, much softer yet more concerned voice, rang in his head…

"He wants you, to merge both worlds together. If he gains the power of mystery over life, it'll upset the balance between the themes of your two realms. He wants you, he wants your talent. He'll do anything to get it…even seduce you. You must finish the story YOUR WAY. He used his power to brainwash you into writing it HIS way. You are in his power…you must fight him, you must regain control."

Moha's heart was beating like crazy in his chest. In addition to the fear of chainsaws and skeletons, he also had a phobia of losing control. Mystere was his domain, he was its narrator and ringmaster…yet everything was happening so fast…

Suddenly, someone grabbed and locked his arms behind him, using a free hand to clutch his hair, his bowler hat not on his head to protect him…a security item he had forgotten. Trickster's voice purred in his ear…

"I promised I'd help you with your writer's block, AND unlock your true talent. Our worlds would be wonderful together, two wonderlands combined into this mad, chaotic world of wonders…" he took a deep breathe, inhaling his scent, "and secrets. You must finish the tale, but you're too deep into yourself. If you want to finish, you should just lose control…"

Moha felt a violent shudder pass throughout his entire being as the Trickster kissed his neck, breathing into his ear:

"I insist."

Moha desperately tried to ignore Trickster's playful whispers, instead focusing on the voice in his mind…

"You must regain control…"

"Lose control…"

"Regain control…"

"Lose control…"

"Turn the lights on."

"Lights out."

Moha practically cried out in alarm as he suddenly awoke in his own bed, the sheet loosely wrapped around his legs, his body covered in a cold, pale sweat. It was just a dream…nothing more…

Then the Trickster bent down, close to his face, lips inches away from his, and whispered…

"Back to work…NARRATOR."

*-SCENE! Sorry for rushing it, creepiest work yet…for my opinion. I think I might even leave it on this cliff hanger, not even sure if I'll expand upon it. Anyway, questions comments, concerns, anything goes! Please don't flame me 


	2. White Witch

Mystere Du Le Kooza

White Witch

*all elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is lightly inspired by Alan Wake. WARNING: light, one-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

Moha-Samedi allowed the doctor to shine a light into his eyes. "How do you feel, Mr. Samedi? Do you feel any pain, dizziness, anything like that? How do you feel?"

Moha subtly shook his head, as last night, unexplainable nor describable, flashed through his soul…

Bebe and the Innocent…

The monster with chainsaw hands…

The punkish female who'd called him 'idiot'…

Trickster face…eyes…lips…

"I'm fine," Moha finally stated. "My head…it's fine."

He didn't want to be kept any longer. He just wanted to sleep off the nightmare.

"Very well, I don't think you have any wounds or illness, but you seem to have had one heck of a night. You should catch up on your sleep for the next few days."

Moha-Samedi thanked the doctor and left the room. Something in his mind told him that last night had been no ordinary night…

Even so, the place in the center back of the stage where the tower had been was empty. Moha shook his head, 'just a dream,' he thought to himself.

A hand suddenly laid itself on his shoulder with gentle practice. He whipped around to find a pretty young woman, blonde hair with white blouse and black khakis, smiling at him. "Moha-samedi?"

He nodded. "Yes…and your name…?"

The girl smiled, "I'm Arsulu, the new secretary usher. I just wanted to say it's an honor to meet you! I'm a huge fan of the show!"

Moha felt his eyebrows arch at this woman's…quirky behavior. "Really? Well, that's…nice."

Arsulu smiled, "I've been watching you guys onstage for a while now, and I've got some great ideas for the show! Now I know you're not the director or anything, but I was…"

At that moment, however, they where interrupted by; "Hey Arsulu! Have you delivered those ticket orders to the front desk yet? We need those tickets printed!" The head stage usher, Bobby, called out, walking towards them in his usual, eccentric yet energetic swagger. Arsulu quickly-yet gracefully-rushed off. Bobby made it to the man in Pink's side. "Sorry 'bout that man, she's one of our new usher's."

Moha nodded, "yes, she was just saying that she was a fan…she seems a little-off, somehow…"

Bobby sighed, placing a hand on Moha's shoulder. "Listen, pink, she's only been here a couple of days, and I've mostly been trying to keep her towards the front part of the theater. However, I'd appreciate it if you just try and keep yourself and the other on-stage artists as far away from her as possible. Kid's a good worker, but I've got my gut feelin' y'know?"

Moha-Samedi agreed. Still, he was surprised that he didn't know about her earlier…

As if she had been hiding herself…

Moha-Samedi finally made it up to his room, the small window in the left-stage mountain tower. He took off his jacket, hat, bow-tie and shoes, un-tucked his white shirt, and laid down on the bed. All he wanted to do was sleep, forget about last night. He closed his eyes…

Yet he hadn't even started to fade into sleep when he suddenly felt strange, familiar sensations begin to envelope him…familiar hands intertwining with his…a warm breath on his cheek…

Suddenly, he found himself beginning again where his nightmare had left off.

"Hello Narrator."

Moha-Samedi would have jumped and fallen off the bed if Trickster didn't have an arm wrapped solidly around his waist.

"Y-you-what…"

"Sh," Trickster shushed him, hot breathe spilling down his neck. "I came to check on you. I hope I didn't shake you up last night."

"Last night…never happened," said Moha-Samedi firmly. Dream or not, he still remembered what the voice had said: 'Regain control'

"Au contraire, my handsome narrator," Trickster whispered, unwrapping his arm from around Moha's arm to gesture towards the door, "night has fallen, and if you just look outside, you'll see your world…is now my world."

Moha-Samedi, confused, practically launched himself off the bed (mainly to get away from Trickster) and quickly climbed out the window, quickly making his way down the stairs.

As he reached the band balcony, he had to grasp the railing to keep his knees from buckling underneath him. Kooza's tower was in the back canter of Mystere's stage once more.

"No…" Moha whispered, shaking his head in silent disbelief. The dream, it had been real. Yet how…?

Trickster's hand grasped his shoulders, his voice echoing in his ears, "this is only the beginning, you've only begun the tale. The white witch made this blessing possible, but we must continue the mergence. Together, we can create something amazing, something powerful…" Moha felt Trickster's arms wrap around his waist and chest… "Something beautiful. The world will be ours, but until then…you're mine."

Moha was unable to focus from the shock and the sudden warmth pouring over him…forcing him to admit defeat as he fainted, still in Trickster's over-powering embrace.


	3. Warnings

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Warnings

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based on Alan Wake. WARNING: Light, one-sided slash between Trickster/Moha-Samedi

Moha awoke in his own bed once more. It was still night, yet something felt different. The warmth of Trickster's arms still ebbed through, floating around him like the warm desert air…

As he arose from the bed, he realized his white shirt, magenta knickers and official costume ensemble had been replaced by a black button shirt, pink vest and bow-tie with black khakis and sneakers with magenta laces. Where had his original costume gone?

AND WHO HAD CHANGED HIM?

Not even wanting to think about that last question, he grabbed his bowler hat, which fortunately had NOT been tampered with, and headed out the door.

As he made his way to the band's balcony, he once more stared at the tower now in the middle of his stage. HIS stage, not the striped trickster who dared to enter his world, act and call himself friend, and now invade his personal space and domain!

Moha-Samedi climbed down the tower with his naturally practiced balance and talent, hitting ground with rehearsed caution. As he examined the tower up close-the curtain drawn over the entrance, the two stair cases leading to the sides, the balcony where the musicians of Kooza must have sat due to the various assortment of instruments-and wondered how it got there…and how to get it out.

"You're still an idiot," a familiar voice suddenly rang from behind him.

Moha-Samedi whipped around to finally SEE the owner of the rebellious voice; a young, punkish looking acrobat woman with long, blonde, red highlighted hair and a Ruby acrobat's costume. What appeared to be a heart-or was it half a heart?- Decorated the chest of the costume.

"You-YOU! You gagged me and knocked me out the night before!" Moha-Samedi angrily pointed at her. Normally, he wouldn't point or scold a woman, but in this case, she HAD taken advantage of him.

"Oh please, you SO deserved it for helping her continue to brainwash my boyfriend!"

Moha blinked, "help who-brain-what-who-now?"

The girl sighed, "The Trickster, I'm his girlfriend."

"Wait-you're his girl-then why is he bothering to…"

The girl raised a hand, and for some reason, Moha instantly fell silent against his will. Did this girl have some form of authoritive power as well?

"I'm Kooza's trapeze artist-REMEMBER THAT." She said the words forcefully; she was obviously the type who would rather be bossing than get bossed around. "Second, he is NOT himself. That's why he's ignoring me, that's why we came here, THAT'S why he keeps coming onto YOU-which is actually not surprising, since he told me he was bisexual*-but he's not doing this CONSCIOUSLY-which is why it's all your fault."

Moha pointed to himself, confused and dumbstruck- "I'm sorry-WHAT is my fault and WHAT is Trickster not doing consciously?"

Trapeze sighed, "Coming onto you to merge the worlds together, it's the craziest idea he's had since letting the innocent-an outsider-come into Kooza to become his protégé!"

"Innocent?"

"The innocent, y'know, you saw him and that jumbo-sized toddler of yours playing together the night YOU first WROTE US into here?"

Moha nodded, but then shook his head, "Wait whoa, BE KIND REWIND….what do you mean I WROTE you into here? I haven't written…"

Suddenly, Moha remembered…his hand, holding the pen…writing in rhythm of Trickster's voice as he slowly faded out of consciousness…the twenty pages he had written, yet never got to read…

Moha put a hand to his face in shock… "I forgot all about that…how did I forget?"

Trapeze sighed calmly. As usual, her patience was thin, but at least he realized the full extent of how all this was happening…almost.

"Look, your world is apart of our world now…meaning Trickster can control it just as easily as ours. Since you wrote these realms together, you've got to try and write them separately again, got that?"

Moha-Samedi shook his head, "but why can't I just stop writing? I still have writers block, and that only cleared up when YOUR Trickster helped me!"

"Yeah, but your gonna have to clear it up and write it yourself, because if you stop writing, then if the ending of the story is reached before it's finished, these two worlds will fall apart! Not just from each other, but COMPLETELY OUT OF EXISTANCE! HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THESE THINGS?"

Moha flinched, she was extremely angry now… "Ok, I get it! Sorry…but what about you? Couldn't YOU help me?"

"I'm not a writer or creator, I'm a creation! Besides," she hugged herself, looking away sadly, "someone has to make sure SHE doesn't make him do anything to hurt himself…"

Moha-Samedi shook his head, "Why aren't you supporting him then? You're his girlfriend! Besides, how do you know he's not himself? Aren't you happy to be here?"

Trapeze glared at him, "you know, you ask WAY too many questions…but if you must know, unlike anyone else, he gave me my own brand of free will, so I KNOW HIM. Also, no offense, but if you must know…"

She stomped the floor of the Mystere stage with her bare foot, "I need less friction if I were to perform here! This floor is WAY too sticky!"

Moha shrugged, "well, our artists need A LOT of friction to perform here, so they-well this is a little embarrassing-but they scrub the floor with soda** every night after performance."

She blinked, "really?"

Moha shrugged once more, "Oh, by the way, who's this SHE you keep talking about?"

Before Trapeze could answer, her eyes suddenly widened, looking above his head. He turned around to where she was looking…

The skeletal, femme-fatal Brian le Petit, chainsaw hands glistening in the night lights of the stage, sat poised on the wall, hollow white eyes staring into them, a mad, rag doll grin torn right through her (its) cheeks.

Trapeze clapped her hands and immediately grabbed the trapeze that magically floated down from the ceiling. In a definite 'you're on your own' gesture, she grabbed the trapeze and flew into the air.

Moha-Samedi panicked. He was alone with this…thing, whatever it was, with no cane or means of self-defense what-so-ever. He was trapped, no one to support him…

Suddenly, Moha felt his body launch off the ground backwards, right into someone's arms. The creature, which had started to launch itself forward with a terrible shriek, suddenly flinched as a hand of blue fire thrust itself in its direction, sparks of light wounding it. The creature instantly fled the scene, smoke still tainting its features.

Moha-Samedi found himself looking up at his savior…and wishing he hadn't. A familiar pair of blue eyes, the Trickster's smile gleaming down at him, practically sent Moha's legs nearly buckling under him…again.

"There now, my handsome Narrator, you're perfectly safe. Now…SLEEP."

The world went black…AGAIN.

*The fact about Trickster being bisexual is not exactly a fact…unless you count THIS story. Well, that's it for now. Next chapter coming RIGHT UP! (snap!)

**The Coca-Cola-soda scrub-down fact…TRUE! Look it up!


	4. Temptation's Seduction

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Temptation's Seduction

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake.

**WARNING! One-sided slash (maybe not-so-light in this chapter) between trickster and Moha-Samedi

Moha awoke once more, yet this time, the scenery felt…different.

The room was gold and blue, like a palace bedroom out of a tale of Arabian Nights. The bed he laid upon was decorated in silk cushions and velvet red sheets. It was as if he were in a place of Cirque royalty.

As he took in his surroundings, Moha-Samedi surely thought he was dreaming. Everything else so far had seemed dream-like…fast, wild, and confusing, even for his standards…

"…and so the handsome creator awakens," a familiar voice purred from next to him, a voice smooth as silk and all too familiar.

Moha took a deep, shaky breathe, already knowing-and dreading, whose face would come into his view upon looking up.

Sure enough, Trickster was sitting on the bed, looking down at him with a fox-like smile upon his lips. He had changed out of his orange and blue striped tuxedo, and was now wearing a black shirt with a gold and red striped, tail-coat vest, with black khaki pants. As he looked down upon Moha's figure (admiring the new outfit he had 'chosen' for him), the man in Pink couldn't help but notice the Trickster's bizarre looking hat was gone, exposing his spiked, red hair…

Moha-Samedi shook his head, "I have GOT to wake up from this…"

"Dream? This sweet dream you keep telling yourself is a nightmare when you know it's nothing but sweet, blissful reality?" Trickster leaned his chin in one hand, eyes sparkling down at him.

Moha turned away from him, "it is for YOU, you Trickster?'

"Ah, so you've found my secret desire for you, eh? I should have told the trapeze artist to silence her voice, after all, I wanted the pleasure of introducing longing for you myself… but alas, she matters not to me."

"Why not? She loves you! You created her to love you, so don't you love her back?" Moha sat up on the bed, remembering Trapeze's concerned voice…

'I don't want him to hurt himself…'

"I did," Trickster murmured, as though reliving a lost memory…

Which he quickly discarded as he gestured the Pink ringmaster, "but you, you are the one making the ultimate dream of this universe a reality! Your creative talent gave me the power to make this possible! Without you, we wouldn't even be here talking now!"

"Wait, there's something I don't understand…what exactly is the connection between you wanting me to merge our realms…and you stalking me?" Moha gestured by counting off his fingers, while leaning on his elbows to do so. Sitting up would mean putting Trickster in touching reach, and he had been invaded enough as it was, just as he was about to point out:

"You snuck into my room, you've touched me, held me, UN-DRESSED AND RE-DRESSED ME…Speaking of which…what's with the new look?" He not only gestured himself, but Trickster as well.

"Well, we are alone…I thought something more casual would call for the occasion, after all…" Trickster reached forward to stroke Moha-Samedi's cheek…

"You are mine now."

The words echoed, ringing through Moha-Samedi's head, causing him to flinch as he raised his fingers to his forehead, eyes clenched in dizziness and confusion…

"I-I don't understand…"

Trickster smiled, "As long as your story and my magic has our worlds connected, we NEED each other. You have such amazing talent…a wonderful, BEAUTIFUL talent…you've written it this way, so that we can work together, so we can be together."

His hands moved down to Moha's shoulders, his electric blue eyes seemed to take on a glow as he stared into the warm, confused brown eyes of the man in Pink. "I know you're a genius. You have talent, but do you get respect or love for it? NO! They cast you aside as a fool and an idiot, I know, I lived that way for YEARS before I created my world!" His hands slid from Samedi's shoulders, down his arms and enwrapped his hands in his own…

"You can create a world too, you have the gift, I have the power…we can do It together…and I have a feeling they'll LISTEN to you this time," his smile became dark and alluring, like a panther watching from the shadows.

Moha-Samedi gulped, true he was usually laughed at, made fun of by others because of his Cirquish and hot-temper, but he WAS a genius! Still, the way Trickster worded it…

"I-I know I've been cast aside as nothing more than comic relief…but all this, it sounds crazy!"

The Trickster smiled, "it won't be…you'll get used to my presence soon enough…after all, I've already shown you the results of our combined work…I could show you more…"

Moha-Samedi felt Trickster's hands leave his as he leaned forward; his blue eyes seemed to glow, making him feel as though he were falling into a trance again…

"I…don't think I need to…"

Moha-Samedi was cut off when Trickster's lips pressed themselves against his own.

'Don't move,' a voice seemed to whisper in the back of his head, but the voice seemed to fade out as warmth poured through the Narrator's lips, almost drowning him.

Trickster smiled, seeing that the Narrator-HIS Narrator-was not resisting as much as he thought. In fact, the Pink Emcee was completely PARALYZED in shock of the moment. With this, he began to move his hands, a hand stroking Moha's arm, the other caressing his hair…

It had been years since Moha-Samedi had been with a woman…or had it been a millennium? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that this was the LAST thing he'd ever been expecting…he didn't want to admit it, but this was the most relaxed he'd ever felt in a very long time…

He felt Trickster raise his hand and place it against his black shirt, allowing the gold and red vest to slide easily off his shoulders. "Go ahead, touch me…you're mine."

Again with the echoing in his ears, all Moha could do was close his eyes as his hand seemed to take a life of its own, feeling the muscles of the Trickster underneath the thin black fabric. Soon Trickster had both the man in Pink's hands on his chest as he undid the buttons of the Emcees shirt and vest.

Moha heard the Trickster moan as his hands slid up his chest and down his arms…The Trickster quickly scooped up his hands, kissing them passionately as Samedi felt a blush of red embarrassment scorch his cheeks. Trickster then wrapped Moha's arms around his shoulders as he swooped down to capture his lips again.

As Trickster then began kissing the Narrator's exposed neck and chest, Samedi felt his hands running through the Trickster's hair…why was this happening? This heat…So overpowering…he wasn't himself, a voice in the back of his head was trying to tell him so, but the heat seemed to drown it out…

Trickster smiled as he kissed his way back up from the man in Pink's chest to his lips…his Narrator was ready. He slowly kissed the ringmaster's lips and neck as his hands delved under his shirt, sliding the black shirt and pink vest off as his arms wrapped around his back. Moha found himself staring into those glowing, electric blue eyes again…

As he did so, Trickster suddenly grasped him, sending a huge wave of heat through his entire body…

A very PLEASURABLE wave of heat…

Moha's body arched in response, Trickster smiled. He captured the emcee's lips against his own as he repeated the movement, arms rubbing his back sending wave after wave of warmth and pleasure from his hands into the Narrator's very Solstrom*…

Moha's eyes clenched shut. As one of Trickster's arms remained wrapped around him, rubbing his back to send more waves through his body, the other hand intertwined with his fingers. Moha-Samedi, in the heat of the moment, found himself grasping the Trickster's hand in return, his free hand clutching the sheets.

Trickster's movement became faster, as he began lifting Moha's body into the air. More heat waves began moving through him, becoming hotter and overpowering with ecstasy. Moha found his body arching as Trickster lifted his body higher and higher off the bed…

Suddenly, an explosion of light and fireworks filled the emcee's vision; multi-colored whirlpools seemed to swirl around him, and inside him, as the climax of heat exploded, setting his Solstrom with Phoenix fire and stirring his soul to sing…

The feeling only lasted a moment, but it seemed to last forever, until he finally felt his back touch the sheets of the bed again. Trickster, exhausted but satisfied, smiled down at HIS Narrator, breathing with a look of exhaustion on his face. The Trickster couldn't resist leaning down one last time to softly capture the Pink Emcee's lips in one last kiss, before rising off the bed. Moha-Samedi watched through blurry, tired eyes as the Trickster looked down at him, smiling as he whispered…

"You are my Muse…and I can never let you out of my cage…"

He awoke in his own bed room, in his own bed some time later. He thought it was all a crazy dream, just another crazy dream…

Until he saw the THIRTY something pages sitting on his desk. Right on cue, he heard the Trickster's amused, almost insane laughter coming from across the theater…

*CUT! (faints) OMG. You have NO IDEA how madly I was blushing as I wrote this, and it's FREEZING over here! Alright, so now I have a question: did the little 'romance scene' between these two count as S#%? "Cause in my opinion, it didn't but…I still want your opinion…

*Solstrom is the life essence of all Cirque characters. It gives them their talent, personality, immortality and Life force.


	5. Regrets and Discoveries

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Regrets and Discoveries

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is LOOSELY based on Alan Wake. WARNING: Light one-sided slash between Moha-Samedi and Trickster, and a question…

-What happens when doing something you didn't want to do felt so good, you're not even sure you can trust yourself?

Moha-Samedi finally sat at his desk to flip through the pages of the manuscript entitled "Mystere Du Le Kooza," or "Mystery of the Box." He had been obviously named the author. He hadn't written this…he couldn't have! He didn't even REMEMBER writing it! On top of that, most of the piece was adjectives of moments describing metaphorical symbols in the story, seeming more like a ramble than anything else…

Though there where parts-the scenes themselves-that DID make sense. In the scene on one page, the stories' hero-an everyman wanting nothing more than to earn the authority and respect of his peers by traversing through his world slowly being merged with ANOTHER world to find THAT world's ruler-was attacked by a chainsaw-shadow demon in front of the castle of the OTHER realm at night.

Moha put his face in his hands, remembering that Trickster had saved him from that incident…more flashes shook undesired feelings through him as he remembered…

The heat…

His hands…

The Ecstasy…

Moha felt like he was going to be ill…or have an emotional breakdown…or BOTH.

"I told you not to, you idiot."

Moha-Samedi sighed, "Hello Trapeze."

She balanced herself against the pane of his window-door, practically glaring through his soul. "She wants him to do this to you, and you're letting her. Now even MORE of the story is coming true, and it's all because you opened the door all the way for her."

Moha shook his head, still running his fingers stressfully through his hair, "you still haven't told me who SHE is…"

"I…" Trapeze froze in mid-thought before exhaling distressfully, "I can't tell you."

"CAN'T TELL ME? You're the one saying I should stop because of HER! So who IS her?"

"I don't know, alright!" Trapeze snapped angrily. Apparently, he was not the only one who had a rough night. "All I know was that she was working in our realm for a while…as an usher. She…she said she was a HUGE fan of the show, kept gushing about it too. After a while though, Trickster decided to let her in, listen to her ideas…that's when he started to change-less time with me, with all of us-more time listening to her. I know they never actually DID anything, which would have been obvious. Then one day he told us that we were moving, that he would summon us when ready…and it was around the SAME TIME she got transferred to another realm…so I've been putting two and two together…"

"Wait a minute, back up now, slow down…How do you know that she's here?"

"I don't," Trapeze confessed, "but I WAS going to ask you…did you get any new non-Cirques in here lately? Suspicious ones?"

Moha-Samedi only had to think about this for a split second before a light bulb practically went on over his head…even though at that second the light bulb that usually lit his room actually burnt out instead, leaving only the light from the window to light up the room.

"I'll be right back," Moha said quickly, as he practically dived out the window, leaving Trapeze to maneuver out of the way, watching as he rushed off muttering to himself in Cirquish.

'Huh, if he's onto something, maybe he's not that much of an idiot after all…' She thought to herself.

"Bobby, BOBBY!" Moha called to the stage manager as he caught him outside of the ticket office.

"Oh hey Pink!" Bobby happily called out, "Cool new outfit! You feelin' any better? I know the show's got this month off for renovation's but you haven't left you room for two days now!"

"Uh…yeah, I needed to catch up on sleep…listen, that new girl, blonde hair, a little strange…"

"Arsulu?"

"Yes! Is this the first show she's worked in?" Moha asked eagerly…maybe he really WAS onto something…

"Now that you mention it…she worked in a travelling show for a while…but since the girl's a miracle worker, she got promoted and came here…"

"What's the name of the show she was working at before here…?"

Bobby thought for a moment…

"I think it was that really popular show…y'know, jester lures some clown kid into this circus/castle type world…"

"Kooza?" Moha said the name with his heart throbbing in his chest…

"Yeah! That's it! …How'd you guess that?"

Moha felt his heart sink all the way to the pit of his stomach…

"Luck-lucky guess…" He composed himself and gestured Bobby once more, "listen, I think…I think she may be even more than she seems than we thought…"

Bobby got a stern look on his face, "why's that? Has she been stalking you?"

The emcee didn't want his friend outside the Cirque Du Soleil universe getting too involved, so he played off that idea…

"Yes, YES! She's been spooking me! Popping up EVERYWHERE I go! So listen…when you can, could you try and keep her AWAY from the stage all together? If you can?"

Bobby nodded seriously, "yeah…if it's THAT bad, I'll try and have someone keep an eye on her…but I can't do TOO too much without proof…you tell me if she steps over the line, ok?"

Moha-Samedi nodded, letting out an exhale of relief. At least he wasn't COMPLETELY alone in this… Bobby smiled and patted his shoulder. Then the two headed their separate ways, unaware that someone was watching them, twirling the ends of her blonde hair in frustrated thought…

When Moha-Samedi returned to his room, Trapeze had disappeared. Not thinking much of it-after all, the rebellious trapeze artist was practically a cheshire cat-he decided to search for his original costume. He must have looked for a good few hours, resisting the urge to ransack his well-organized room as his frustration grew upon realizing none of the old garments of his previous outfit were to be found. Finally admitting defeat, he decided he could at least change into his night shirt and sleep pants-which to his frustration had gone from Pink and black to Black and Pink-and began to take off his shirt…

Yet as he did, he caught a glance of himself in the mirror behind him…A thick, pink and black striped line of what appeared to be neon paint now made its way down his spine, almost like some kind of strange tattoo…there were also black and pink tattoos of stars on each of his shoulders.

(What in Mystere…?) He murmured to himself in Cirquish as he faced the mirror to examine the markings on his shoulders…

That's when a familiar figure appeared from behind him, nearly causing Moha to jump…

"Beautiful, aren't they?" The Trickster purred into his ears as he rested his hands on Moha's shoulders, caressing the markings with his fingers. Samedi felt chills go down his spine. Not only had his 'encounter' with the Trickster last night been real-if this whole thing WERE'NT a dream he hadn't woken up from yet-but the markings were proving to be particularly sensitive to the Trickster's touch…

"What are you talking about? Wha-what ARE these?"

"They're your new symbols," Trickster whispered into his ear, one hand sliding down his back, "the symbols of you as the co-creator of this new realm-OUR realm."

Moha shook his head, "this-I don't-you can't just-"

"You know, you really do stutter and mumble TOO MUCH," Trickster said, rubbing the Emcee's shoulders with one hands, using the other to slide up and down his back.

"No, listen-you're not-" Moha had to stop and inhale sharply as Trickster's hand grasped his shoulders.

"Ssshhh…" Trickster softly kissed the Man in Pink's neck, an arm wrapped around his waist as his other hand massaged the markings on his back, "Why don't we just skip the talking for now?"

As he turned the Man in Pink around, hands still working their way up and down his back, he kissed his shoulders, knowing he was now particularly sensitive there.

Moha had to give up. He couldn't focus…couldn't get the words straight…this wasn't just Trickster seducing him…it was her, the witch, Ar-Arsu-

Moha gave mid-thought up as Trickster's hot, starving lips made their way from his shoulders, up his neck, and onto his mouth, silencing him…

*Scene. Before anything else, I want to know WHO SAW THE ARSULU-IS-THE-WITCH SCENE COMING? Yeah, I made that a little TOO obvious. Now if you'll excuse me…

(faints)


	6. NOT Love

Mystere Du Le Kooza

This is NOT Love…

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based on Alan Wake. WARNING: One-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

Moha-Samedi knew he HAD to be dreaming.

He laid on his bed, alone, but he couldn't get Trickster out of his head anymore…he knew, deep down somehow, that the Trickster hadn't done anything to him after passing out mid-kiss, but he couldn't deny that he had left something in him…a burning, almost irresistible desire…

He felt the warmth of his hands, pouring over him and the markings on his back and shoulders HAD to be glowing, for that was where he was most sensitive…

He wanted to deny it; he didn't want to be seduced by another man, no less a Trickster whose subconscious will was possessed by a witch, HE WAS STRAIGHT FOR ALL THE GOOD OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL!

Yet as much as he tried to resist, the warmth Trickster had left on his being made it irresistible…his body wanted more. Moha found his hands rubbing his chest and shoulders, trying to re-create the feeling Trickster had given him in his 'dreams' (if he was dreaming…he couldn't tell anymore, he had passed out and woken up so many times to the same story…)but it wasn't the same, as the Man in Pink bit his lower lip in desperate vain…

He shot up, suddenly wide awake and (once again) covered in cold sweat…this whole 'waking up from one dream into another scenario had to STOP…especially when he saw the marking still on his shoulders…

His face burning red with frustration, embarrassment and self-arousal (which he was going to deny even if it KILLED him as the most stubborn man in Mystere), he grabbed his black shirt, pink vest and bow tie (this was all he had to wear until he could get the world back to normal), and quickly glancing at his desk-which to his relief had the same number of pages as before-headed outside, he needed air…

Sure enough, once again it was night, and ONCE AGAIN the Kooza tower stuck right in the middle of his realm…but something was off…

Kooza's tower was now blue with black metal, held up by pillars of white and black stripes. The stage of Mystere was also swirled with blue, black and purple, as if the entire stage had been renovated…

'When I wake up from this, I will have A LOT of therapy to look forward to…' Moha thought to himself as he examined his new surroundings.

A pair of heels clicked against the floor, emerging from the shadows behind him. This time, Moha didn't even turn around. Deep down, he already knew whose presence had entered has he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to resist the warm glow already emanating from his back and shoulders, quickly spreading into his chest…

"So, you like what you see?" The voice fell over his ears like silk sheets drenched in creamed-milk, but Moha desperately fought at the feeling…

"I haven't even turned around to face you yet…"

The voice chuckled, sending chills down his already vibrating spine, "I was talking about the scenery, but I suppose you have yet to see my new wardrobe choice…"

A hand fell upon his cheek, turning Moha to meet Trickster's eyes before he stepped back to give the emcee a better view of his full figure.

The Trickster now wore a black, sleeveless button up shirt with a purple tie, vest and jacket, along with black leggings and boots with purple laces. The Cirque markings (makeup) on his face, which had once been orange, blue and scarlet, now matched his new attire. Their outfits practically complimented each other's…and the now darkened world around them.

Moha-Samedi couldn't help but take in the new outfit choice with some disturbed impression…

"What's with the matching outfits?"

"I thought it might send a message…after all…" The Trickster stepped forward, cupping one of Moha's cheeks, "We're partners now, if you know what I mean," he winked.

Moha breath shook, "We aren't anything! This isn't you! It's…"

"Oh come now! Surely neither of us can hog all the credit! This isn't mine, nor is it yours…it's OURS. You are my writer, I'm your composer." Trickster's hand slid down from his cheek and grasped Samedi's shoulders, slowly walking him backwards.

"You're right, this isn't mine…but it's not yours, OR ours…it's HERS! Can't you see what that witch is doing to you? To us, to our worlds! She's twisting the story to her own ends, and she's using us to do so!"

Just inches away from the tower, Trickster stopped walking Moha backwards and blinked at him, as if the man in Pink had just undergone a sudden change…

And laughed. As Trickster laughed, he leaned his head back so he was facing towards the ceiling. The laughter seemed to turn into an insane cackle as he spread his hands out in the dramatic flair of the moment. Moha stared at him with a mixed expression of shock and confusion on his face, shaking his head…this was NOT the reaction he was expecting…

"No wonder people have mistaken you for a fool! You are very insightful, yes, but I'm afraid you've got the details mixed up, my Narrator…you see, she MADE this possible! She helped reach here, so I could meet you…"

Trickster then reached forward, one hand intertwining their fingers together and against their chests as Trickster pulled the emcee/narrator forward, an arm wrapped around Moha's shoulders as Trickster whispered into his ear, "she's told me so much about you, Moha-Samedi…about the complex incantations you've written, about your world…and how similar our worlds are. Once you think of it, my world reflects your world quite well doesn't it?"

He then pulled his lips away from Moha's ear, to stare into his eyes once more…

"No…" Moha whispered, "That…that's not true…my world-it's nothing like yours! I don't control my beings like mindless puppets as you do!"

"No…not yet." Trickster whispered with a grin on his face, "but you'll get used to such soon, I promise…"

He raised the pink man's hand and kissed it, whispering against his pale, trembling fingers, "As long as we can be together to make this possible, nothing else matters…"

Moha felt Trickster push him back about two more steps before he found himself pinned against the tower. "No, this is a dream…a nightmare!" Moha murmured this to himself as he started murmuring in Cirquish…

"(Wake up, wake up, just a dream, HAVE to wake up, please awaken, awaken…)"

Suddenly, he lost all thought when Trickster's hands grasped his shoulders once more, sending the vibration of heat and energy down his chest and ribs…the sudden motion of overpowering warmth as Moha's head arched back…

"On the contrary…you are very much awake," Trickster hissed, a cheshire cat smile on his face, as his arms reached around his back, pulling him forward and crushing their lips together.

Moha felt himself losing control over everything…his hands, which would have pushed the Trickster away, remained at his sides. His legs, which would have been running seemed to buckle under him as Trickster pinned him against the tower once more.

Even his voice seemed to defy him as he moaned into Trickster's mouth, bringing his arms to wrap even more tightly around him as his hands rubbed the glowing stripes down Moha's spine…

Moha felt his arms, as if possessed, wrap themselves around Trickster's shoulders as he desperately tried to grip to reality, to try and convince himself he had some form of control…but he didn't. He had lost it the very first moment trickster had touched him…

Trickster smiled against Moha's lips. As he took Moha's arms from around his shoulders and placed them against his chest, Moha found his fingers working to undo the buttons of the trickster's black shirt and purple vest. Trickster allowed the velvet jacket to fall off his shoulders, exposing his bare arms, as he undid the buttons of Moha's shirt and vest once more…

Moha continued to moan as his hands wrapped themselves underneath the Trickster's shirt, feeling the bare skin of the Trickster back for the first time. The air around him felt like ice compared to the warmth flooding from Trickster's body…

Trickster happily kissed Samedi's shoulders and chest, feeling the Solstrom building in his hands as he prepared for the second verse for properly marking his ringmaster-emcee once more. Moha felt the warmth from the Trickster's hands, and found control over his voice once more as he begged…

"Please…d-don't do this, not again…I-"

He hissed as Trickster's lips kissed his shoulders, sending more warmth pouring down his body…

Suddenly, Trickster got a clever, more satisfying idea…

As he locked the Man in Pink's lips in another kiss, he completely removed the shirt and vest from the man in Pink's body, having them fall completely to the floor, and turned the ringmaster around, so he was grasping the emcee from behind. Moha, confused, turned around as if to pose a question, only for his lips to be caught in another lustful kiss.

Suddenly, Trickster grasped him, just as he had the first time they had done this, only this time, the warmth pulsed through Samedi's chest, make his heart throb with desire…desire he'd desperately been trying to deny…

Trickster smiled, enjoying the feeling of the ventriloquist-ringmaster squirming in his arms. To make it more effective, Trickster turned them both around so he was leaning his back against the tower, still holding the now-heavily breathing emcee in his arms…

Moha felt the warmth flooding through him as the Trickster rubbed his Solstrom-glowing hands across his torso. He tried to resist, but couldn't even repress a moan as he leaned his head back against the Trickster's shoulder. Trickster took this as his surrender as Moha found his hands grasping those of the Trickster's, as he continued to rub his chest faster…

Once again, Samedi's entire body arched as the Solstrom from Trickster's hands seemed to explode around him, surrounding him in a whirlpool of neon lights. As the Solstrom settled into him, the emcee's strength finally gave out as he collapsed back into the Trickster's arms. Trickster held him close, but didn't stop there. He continued to caress the man's still heaving torso, kissing his lips over and over again.

Moha moaned as Trickster continued to hold him. Even though he wished this had never happened, another, deeper part of him was grateful for the satisfaction. He didn't even have the strength to resist as Trickster, with surprising grace and strength, lifted him up and carried him into the tower…

What ever it was he was planning doing with him next, Samedi knew that real love had NOTHING to do with it…

*Cliffhanger. Yeah, I think I'm DEFINETELY heading for an excuse plot now…what happens next? Well…you'll see ;)


	7. Awakened Realizations

Mystere Du le Kooza

Awakened, to Realization…

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake.

"Only when the answers become far more important than the Questions will the solutions emerge."

-Franco Dragone, creator/director of Mystere

Trickster smiled as he murmured these words softly to himself, laying the now unconscious emcee on his bed in the Kooza tower. He had moved some of the Man in Pink's other belongings in there, mainly, his desk, papers, manuscript and all, with his cane, pink bowler hat and puppet.

The room had changed. The gold, scarlet and blue Arabian theme was now purple and black, with a gothic, tapestry bed, black, velvet sheet s and black/white striped pillars…a theme out of the Nightmare Before Christmas.

Trickster stared down at his now fully taken ringmaster. Moha-Samedi now had gothic, magenta/black swirling patterns on his upper arms, his chest decorated with stars similar to his shoulders. His hands now had tattoos of a magenta moon and black sun on them. He was now properly marked…and almost fully under his power. All he needed was his free will, and he would truly, unconditionally be his lover…forever.

He watched the sleeping, exhausted narrator a moment longer…

Then turned around, a devious, almost too skeletal and feminine to be his own, smile upon his face.

The Puppet seemed to have a life of its own as its head rose and whispered…

'Guardian, wake up.'

…

I shot up, more than awake and highly alarmed. I was sitting on my bed, still dressed in my casual clothes, still…feeling very exhausted.

I looked around my room…no gothic colors, no creepy shadows…

'What WAS that-that DREAM? Or was it a nightmare? So bizarre…'

I had a very vivid imagination, but the dream…unsettled me. It had been dark, wild…and weird, even for MY standards!

So…yeah, I pretty much summed it up to a dream…

Until I saw a neat stack of papers on my desk…

When I approached, thinking 'where did this come from…?' (after all, mom told me to clean my desk of the clutter last night and I had son so, hadn't I?) I saw the title…

My skin ran cold…

"Mystere Du le Kooza, by:…"

I WAS NAMED THE AUTHOR.

I hadn't written it…I couldn't remember writing it! Dreading the contents, I flipped through the pages, my body becoming colder with chills for each page…

The Trickster's arrival in Mystere…

Moha-Samedi awakening to a new world…

Trickster's 'longing' for him…

The Trapeze artist…

I swore I even felt my cheeks grow red when I skimmed over the 'Solstrom mergence' scenes…

As I read the chapter I remembered most vividly in my head (Trickster carrying Moha-Samedi into his tower) the scene changed almost completely…and the page afterwards BLEW MY MIND-AND SOUL…

For I had reached the page that DESCRIBED HOW I HAD REACHED THE PAGE AFTER Trickster carried Moha-Samedi into his tower…

It wasn't just the lack of food or sleep that made my mind reel…

I put my head in my hands, I didn't want to read anymore, how could I? The next page…

Oh, wait, there WASN'T a next page…it was blank. Thank…

That's when I saw it-the blank page in front of me…words where forming…

'Then the dark witch's hands were upon me…'

That's when I felt a pair of cold hands grasp my shoulders, my head shot back, almost by reflex, and I found my eyes caught in the cruel, seductive glare of a dark pair of feminine eyes…

"Back to work Guardian…"

She appeared so fast I practically fell out of my chair as I jumped up to turn the lights on…

By the time I turned around, she was gone.

I couldn't believe it…I HAD to be hallucinating-yet considering the fact that I DIDN'T do drugs, drinking, smoking and had already pinched myself to make certain I was dreaming…

No, it was her…that face-those violet-black eyes-that blonde hair…

Just like my dream…Arsulu was real, the story was real…and she had been in my room…

"Honey…sweetheart, you in there?"

Oh-SNAP. Mom…The manuscript! I practically launched myself towards the desk, grabbed the pages and flung them into the nearest shelf I could find…

Then I fixed my chair and sat, casually, as she came into my room.

"Honey, you okay? I heard a scream…do you know what time it is?" She was practically still half-asleep, could've been sleep walking for all I knew. After all, it WAS…

"3:00AM mom, I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. You can go back to bed, I'm fine."

Mom smiled a "whatever…I'm just tired,' fake, cheesy half-smile before mock-slamming the door (y'know, whooshing it fast but not ACTUALLY slamming it or whatever) and stumbled-and/or-dragged herself down the hall back to bed. I sighed and went to open the drawer to retrieve the pages…

However, when I DID open them…the drawer was empty!

I shook my head and searched the other drawers…but no manuscript.

'Maybe pinching DOESN'T help you wake up…' I deduced as I gave up. I was tired…and possibly losing my mind to my love for Cirque Du Soleil. 'I knew brainstorming a Cirque fanfic involving slash on nothing but a ice cream milkshake was a BAD idea…'

I sighed as I crawled back into my bed, laying on my back, I happily smiled, gazing at the two posters I'd hung upon my ceiling to remind me of my two favorite shows…

Mystere and Kooza. Two separate worlds, with two VERY different agendas…

'Just a dream…' I thought, as I closed my eyes… 'Only a dream…'

I should have kept my eyes open…

'Keep going…' (Arsulu's face, overcasting the Trickster's)

'GUARDIAN!' (Trapeze calling out as skeletal figures dragged her into the shadows)

'Wake up…' (Moha-Samedi, lying upon Trickster's bed, clutching himself in a cold sweat…)

"WAKE UP.'

I awoke…but I was not in my room…

*Scene. I know I'm taking a HUGE risk with this, but…tell me what you guys think? Too risky?


	8. Light and Dark

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Darkness and Light

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake. Halloween Town references copyright Tim Burton ;)

I stared at my surroundings…It LOOKED like my room…but something was off…

The closet and bed where in the same places, but the desk and chair were missing, and the walls were swirled colors of Turquoise, blue, purple, green and aqua…

The colors of the Mystere stage…

This was Moha-Samedi's room.

I shook my head and rose from the bed. I had NO idea how I'd gotten there…all I knew was that something had happened to bring me here…either my idea had come to life, I was waking up from one nightmare into another, or I had finally lost my mind.

I reached for my phone-wait, how had THAT gotten on Moha's night table?-but the signal was dead. I'd have to wait till' I got out of the theater.

As I climbed down from the window room of the Man in Pink's abode and rushed down the stairs to the band's balcony, my heart froze. The Kooza tower, smack dab in the middle of the stage…colors of Black, blue, purple and white…it was real…unless I was…

'Aw, FORGET IT,' I thought. This was getting WAY TOO MUCH, even for my head. This couldn't be a dream…could it?

I couldn't focus on that right now. I had to find a way out. Yet, as I made my way down to the stage itself and was contemplating my options, I saw something flash behind the tower…

"Hello-someone there?" I called out. Two white pages floated out from behind the tower. I picked them up and quickly skimmed them…

It was the title page and a scene involving Moha and trapeze from my manuscript-the one that had SUPPOSEDLY been written by me and disappeared into thin air…

I shook my head…this did it…I DIDN'T write ANY slash fanfic, Kooza and Mystere WEREN'T merged together, and this gothic version of the two WASN'T real! I had to wake up, wake up…

"WAKE UP!"

As I screamed it at the top of my lungs, I swear I saw a huge flash of light around me, inside me, as if I was finally waking up from this dreadful nightmare…

Yet I wasn't. The light seemed to fade, a figment of my imagination, as I finally stopped to catch my breath. Still clutching the pages, I collapsed to the ground, exhausted and upset…

Suddenly, something moved behind me…a person? Someone else was here? I saw them rush behind the curtain serving as the main entrance of the tower…

"Anybody there? Please! I need assistance!"

I quickly dove into the tower…

The tower inside was just as dark as outside. Blue and purple neon…like Oogie Boogie's lair from Halloween Town*.

Whoever it was there was leaning over themselves, muttering something…

"Hey…hey you! I need help! I need…to…"

I froze as the figure rose to their feet. They were breathing heavily, their body shrouded in darkness. I couldn't see their face, they were wearing some kind of mask.

The muttering figure, picked something up from the ground…

My heart skipped a few beats when I saw the gleaming, black stained scythe.

As it turned around, I saw no face…only the creepy, grinning mask of a skeleton.

It didn't even wait for my reaction…it LUNGED AT ME.

I dodged (obviously) and ran for my life.

As I ran out of the tower, I immediately headed for the audience seats. If I could make my way to the front door, I could rush into the crowd of Vegas tourists and get help…maybe even wake up…

Yet that was NOT happening as I tripped, managing to twist my ankle. I hissed in pain…then I noticed IT. It was there, and it was coming for me.

Noting I now had nowhere to run, it slowly sauntered towards me, scythe swinging in it's arms like a guillotine blade, drinking in my fear. My heart raced-this was a bad way to end a crazy dream…

"KID!"

The voice screamed from the audience. A face-a very UNEXPECTED face, complete with einstien hair, over-sized ushers uniform and all-stuck out in the darkened theater…

"Brian le Petit?"

The story-intruder clown waved his hands anxiously at me, "When you're in the dark you need a light!"

I had no idea what he meant by that, but seeing as how there was no point in mentioning that…

"I don't have a light!"

"Take this kid!" He threw a flashlight at me…

As I grabbed it, I immediately shined it at the skeleton, which was almost upon me…it seemed to hurt him, like a vampire (if that stuff was true), but it kept coming, blocking the light from its face.

"Please, PLEASE DON'T let it end like this…just wake up, wake up wake up…"

('Wake up, wake up, just a dream, HAVE to wake up, please awaken, awaken…')

As Moha-Samedi's begging voice, the picture of his closed eyes as Trickster pinned him against the tower, flashed through my mind, something FINALLY gave…

The light shined brighter, and the skeleton disappeared in the exploding flash.

Realizing the danger was over, all the blood seemed to drain from my head to the pit of my stomach…

I dropped the flash light and collapsed, my head resting on the floor…

Yet I didn't pass out. I simply laid there to try and get a grip on reality. As the stage stopped spinning around me, a pair of bare feet appeared in front of me…

I looked up and saw her staring down at me, waving sarcastically…

"You okay?" The Trapeze artist asked, bending down to my eye level.

"You…I thought something bad happened to you…"

She stared at me, a cruel sneer appearing on her face. "Kid, what are you talking about? Man, do you even know where you're at?"

"Mystere…Kooza…together, its coming true, the way I wrote…"

As I tried to get up, the world swirled around me again, and I had to lay my head down once more.

"Man, what an IDIOT…you're even worse than him," I heard her mumble under her breath. I immediately realized who she was talking about…

In a flashback deja-vu moment, I saw the man in pink clutching himself upon Trickster's bed, he looked hurt…

"Moha…got to see him…Trickster…"

It was no use, I was too tired…I couldn't go on…

I saw Trapeze's face before I began to fade, despite her voice still being mixed with a hint of her stubborn pride, both her face and voice suddenly expressed concern, acting almost as a glowing red light amongst the dark dancing across my vision…

"Kid, you okay? Kid…KID?"

The world went black.

!

I shot awake…but it was still dark…the walls where black, velvet sheets surrounding me. It was warm…to warm. I couldn't rest, the first thing on my mind was finding him…

Yet I was so exhausted, I couldn't think straight…I would have to rest, perhaps if I awoke and was still tired, I could find something to wake me up, like some light…

Yet as I turned on my side to go to sleep, I was met with a familiar pair of warm, brown eyes…glowing a warm shade of magenta pink.

*SCENE. Things are getting…rushed. Yeah, I know I know…BUT I AM GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS! I promise!


	9. Gift of Light

Mystere Du le Kooza

Gift of Light

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This tale is loosely based off Alan Wake.

I stared into the Man in Pink's eyes for what seemed like an hour, but was only a half-minute. He blinked a couple of times, as if coming out of a tired trance-either that, or he had just woken up…

He blinked a few times, the glow fading away from his eyes, before sitting up to take a good look at me…

"Who are you?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. Moha-Samedi was my favorite character in Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere, and now here I was, FACE-TO-FACE with him. What DO you say to your favorite character…of ANYTHING?

"I-"

-was at a loss for words, apparently. I couldn't think of what to say- 'Hi! I'm the one who wrote your world into this mess, but I'm your biggest fan!' How EMBARRASING…no way was I going to say that…

Moha-Samedi sighed, and turned from me, placing exasperated fingers against his forehead…"Don't tell me I've written a child into this mess as well?"

My eyes went wide as I suddenly blurted out, "but you didn't write this story! I DID!"

Moha-Samedi whipped around, a confused look upon his face. I slapped my head, why, WHY couldn't I keep my mouth shut?

"What are you talking about? How did you know-oh, wait, I just said that-but how-"

I raised a hand to gesture him to stop. Maybe it WAS better if I explained…

"Look, for starters, I'm OBVIOUSLY not from around here…but I know that this is really two realms, not one. I'm a HUGE fan of Cirque Du Soleil."

His eyes lit up when he heard that, "Oh! So you know about Mystere?"

"Yes! I know that you're it's ringmaster…and emcee, and narrator…and a ventriloquist…you're A LOT of things here, actually…" I rubbed the back of my neck, hoping my arm would block the red blush on my face, "you're my favorite character in the show, so, yeah, I do know a lot…"

Moha-Samedi smiled, leaning back suavely, "well, I AM multi-talented…"

"And now you're being full of yourself," I muttered amusedly under my breath.

"What?"

"NOTHING," I said quickly. "So, anyway, where was I?"

"Mystere is your favorite show?" He asked, feeling good about himself for the first time in quite a while.

"Yes…Mystere is the one show I've actually seen twice…but next to that, there's ANOTHER show I've seen twice and REALLY like…Kooza."

His face fell a little when he heard that. "Okay…"

"Yeah…" I think we could both ALMOST see where this was going…

"So, anyway, I'm also a fanfiction writer-that's fiction written by fans on different thing they like such as movies and stories-and since I like Cirque Du Soleil…"

I took a deep breath as I prepared to take a HUGE weight on his shoulders…and possibly turn away the trust of my favorite Cirque character…

"I-Wrote-AStory-That-Merged-Mystere-And-Kooza-And-Not-It's-Coming-True-So-It's-NOT. YOUR. FAULT!"

I had my eyes closed as I was saying that entire sentence, so I opened them cautiously to see Moha's reaction to the news. Moha-Samedi had a look of confusion and uncertainty upon his face, obviously trying to absorb the information that had just been presented to him. He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then adjusted himself so we were eye-to-eye…

"Listen to me…it's obvious you love Cirque Du Soleil…I can see it in your eyes…but how can you be certain you wrote this?"

I shrugged, "well…I've been thinking about writing a story for both Mystere and Kooza for a while…but I've never actually gotten it down on paper…until now."

Moha put his chin in his hands thoughtfully, inhaling his own thoughts with deep and careful consideration, "yes…but how is it you know I DIDN'T write YOU into this story?"

I opened my mouth, but two things stopped me from speaking: One, he had a point, I mean, how DID I know HE hadn't been the original writer, and two, I was struck by the sudden realization of the catch 22 I had-or he had-created.

He continued the explanation, saving me the trouble of speaking my own thoughts:

"I mean, you say you wrote me into your story as the writer who merged these realms together, yet I could have just as well written you into this tale so that I wouldn't be alone! I mean…in a way, we've BOTH written it…or maybe-neither of us…wrote…it?"

He got confused, a look of strain came upon his face as he clutched his forehead…

In shock of the moment, to think one of us was a character in the other's story, another realization dawned upon me… "Would you really write someone like me into your world?"

Moha-Samedi shrugged, "well…considering the DESPERATE situation I'm in…" He stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing at me; "Tell me about the situation I'm in?"

"Well, Trickster's subconscious has been possessed by the dark witch Arsulu, who is using Trickster to merge Mystere and Kooza through your story. In order to do so, in a sick, twisted sort of way though, Arsulu has trickster (I paused sourly) SEDUCING (I practically spat the word, he even cringed a little when I said it) you into writing the story that continues to merge your realms! There's a catch though…Arsulu, that witch from WHEREVER is twisting the story to her own ends and warping it into some twisted, gothic skele-world!"

Moha-Samedi nodded, "okay, just checking…anyway, as I was saying, if I were DESPERATE enough to write another character from ANOTHER world-not even Cirque, but the REAL world no less-I would probably give you something a little…EXTRA, you know?"

"Extra?" I asked this curiously, "what KIND of 'extra?'"

"Well, I don't know…something to save me from trickster-er, Arsulu's-dark ways-like a little bit of light to brighten this dark place…"

He seemed sad as he whispered the words softly, I couldn't help but feel the same way…Mystere and Kooza worked so well together in the beginning, minus Trickster being all 'I-want-you-even-though-you-don't-want-me,' then Arsulu twisted it, made it dark and gothic…

The dark brought back memories of my encounter with the skeleton…it's creepy mask,…the swinging scythe…it was going to kill me…

Then Brian threw me the light…light…light! The story needed light! Light always overcame the dark, just the same as good overcoming evil, order overcoming chaos…

Moha-Samedi overcoming Brian le Petit's rude behavior in the show, and me overcoming my fear of the dark with nothing more than a flashlight. These thought gave me a confort and strength I didn't even know I had…that's when I felt a warmth at the tips of my fingers, upon looking at my hands…

A strange blue glow appeared around my hands, like blue fire, warm and bright. It also caught Moha-Samedi's attention, both of us staring into the light as though it where the most beautiful thing either of us had seen…which, considering the past few nights of nightmares and darkness, it was.

"How are you doing that?" Moha-Samedi whispered in quiet awe. "I don't know…" I whispered, examining the way the flames danced as I twisted and curled my fingers…that's when I realized why I was here, within the main setting of the story, here with the narrator face-to-face…this power was my gift, but it was not for me alone…

"Here…" I whispered, reaching my hands out to him, "give me your hands…"

He was uncertain at first, as though the fire would burn him, and then our eyes met, and he realized the same logic I had…this gift was for both of us, not me alone. His hands settled upon mine…

The warmth spread from my fingers around his, up our arms to our shoulders, through our torsos and down our waists and legs…I felt as if we were both floating, or falling, or both at the same time. It was warm and cold, deep like the ocean…and lighter than even the brightest light of the sun.

Yet soon, the feeling faded, and we both found ourselves staring at eachother, wide eyed and breathless, hands still intertwined…

"Wha-what WAS that?" Moha-Samedi asked quietly, still catching his breath…

"I don't know," I whispered, raising my hands off his momentarily to look at the symbols there…they had changed. There was still a moon on one palm, the sun on the other…but instead of being pink and black neon graffiti style, the moon was now white, and the sun was still black…

I understood, like the sun and the moon, even though Moha-Samedi and I were from different worlds, we still had to work together to get the realms back into proper order…we had BOTH written this, now we had to fix it.

I grasped his hands tightly, "Moha, listen, I'm not a hundred percent certain whether this is reality, a dream, nightmare or something of all those things…but it CAN'T be coincidence. I don't know if I wrote you into this or you wrote me…but we're here, together, for a very special reason. We need to work together to get out of this-this crazy-whatever-it-is…even if we're not always together like this. Do you trust me?"

Moha looked at me with a puzzling look-he knew what I was talking about, and even though he believed me, he was still-uncertain of himself. I was too, but I felt a little more confident about myself when he looked up to me, smiled, and nodded, "Yes, I do. We'll work together on this…we'll write it together. I'm sorry for writing you into this…even if YOU claim you wrote me into it…but I'd very much appreciate the assistance…"

He clasped my hands in a firm, trust-worthy handshake, "and it's nice to know I'm not alone, anymore.

We smiled at each other. I felt really good, the best I had in a long time, like I had just made a new friend…because I had. A wonderful, amazing, talented friend; and not exactly the type of person you'd imagine having tea or coffee with…his smile definitely echoed my thoughts, he was happy, we were partners, nothing could tear apart our friendship…

But alas, our good moment together was not meant to last. For in that moment, a familiar pair of arms enwrapped the Man in Pink from behind, causing his eyes to widen in shock, horror and fear. I felt his hands, still in my own, tense up a trickster's face appeared just over his shoulders, the markings still twisted with purple and black.

"Well, well…who have we here?" He purred these words into the Man in Pink's ear, causing us both to shudder; the room temperature had suddenly dropped, turning the air into ice…

"I-I'm…" I suddenly couldn't talk, there was a negative energy in the air, and Trickster's very aura paralyzed me. His energy was dark, twisted, and definitely had Arsulu's presence about him. Also, seeing him fondle a VERY uncomfortable Moha-Samedi like he was some kind of pet…it made me sick enough to NOT let go of Moha's hands, in fear of what Trickster might do to him…

"I'm afraid my narrator is not allowed to have guests," Trickster purred, his hand sliding down Samedi's arm onto my hand…as soon as his fingers touched mine, I felt a jolt of electricity go up my arm, causing me to jerk my hand away…

"Now…SLEEP," Trickster's words echoed through my head as he waved his hand in front of me, a cruel gaze upon his face as he waved his hand in front of my eyes…

I managed to catch one last glimpse of Moha's scared, worried face before my vision blanked out…

I awoke back in my room, on my bed, shaking. I looked out the window, light flooding through the windows, it was morning. My bed was a mess, pillows and sheets littering the floor, as if I'd been tossing and turning all night. As I shook my head and caught my breath, I noticed something on the desk…a journal had replaced the manuscript. I practically lunged of the bed…

I flipped through the pages, it was all there! Every scene, all the way up to trickster casting me out of…

'Mystere Du Le Kooza,' the words practically HAUNTED me…this whole story was like a ghost to me…I couldn't rest until it was finished…

"Sweetheart, you up?" My mom peeked into the room, smiling at me, "hey pumpkin! You where up late last night! Did you sleep well? Do you need anything? I know this is your week off, but…"

"I'm fine mom," I said, lying through my lips, teeth and gums. "I'm just gonna take it easy today, I've had a rough night…"

"Well, alright. I'm off to work, try and catch some sleep, okay?"

"Ok, bye…" As soon as she left the room, I immediately made my bed. I couldn't rest, I had work to do.

I made myself some fresh coffee (after mom left, taking hers with her obviously), got my desk organized with some writing utensils and the programs for Mystere and Kooza (being a visual writer, I needed to remember what the characters looked like for visual reference), and picked up the pen…

Before starting however, I took up the Mystere program and took one last look at Moha-Samedi's picture, in his original costume, talking to his puppet…if only I could write him waking up from this nightmare and back into that life, but it wasn't that simple. The complexity of this piece required me to play along with the themes presented to me…

Trickster's seductive games…

Moha's bound markings…

The dark, twisted world Arsulu was merging…

These where what I had to work with, so be it.

I took up the pen, and began to write…

*Can YOU guess what's next? I can't…I KNOW ;)


	10. Unsteady Alliance

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Unsteady alliance…

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake. WARNING: One sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi…

Moha-Samedi felt his eyes widen as the child's hand vanished from his completely. He felt his heart sink to his stomach, maybe even deeper…the one person he could finally trust, someone who possessed the answers of what has happening around and to him…gone. All thanks to a wave of the hand by that…TRICKSTER.

"You…" Moha could barely contain his frustration, "Why…WHY did you send them away?"

Trickster chuckled darkly, his hands gripping him tighter, "As I told the child before I sent them home…you cannot have guests, they will alter your views and ideas on the story's flow…"

He trailed one hand up and down Samedi's arm, using the other to caress the emcee's jaw, "plus, I don't want ANYONE stealing you away from me, my beautiful muse." Trickster turned Moha towards him to gaze into his eyes…Moha found himself unable to look away, Trickster's power over him had grown so strong, he couldn't even summon the strength to simply say 'no' anymore…

However, as Trickster captured his lips with his hot, lustfully hungry mouth, a picture of the child's face-his Guardian, his protector, to him-flashed through Moha's mind. 'Resist the Trickster! Resist-you still have your free will! Don't let him take that from you!'

Moha clenched his eyes shut and, with what little strength he felt he had, pushed Trickster away, lunged off the bed (just barely stopping mid-rush to grab at least his puppet and hat), and sped right out the door.

Moha barely had time to slam the door shut before slipping and sliding, losing his balance and practically hurling himself down the stairs. He found himself tumbling head over heels over puppet over cane before he finally reached the bottom, laying there for just a brief moment in a tangled, overwhelmed mess of fear and exhaustion.

Fortunately, Moha noticed as he quickly got up and gathered his things accordingly, Trickster was NOT following him in an angry rage-thank the Conjurer**…thank the Oracle**…

He sighed, catching his breath, suddenly exhausted…However, as he slowly fell to his knees, he was unaware that as his puppet slipped from his hands, it slowly wrapped himself around him, legs strapping over his shoulders like a back-pack…

Moha-Samedi only became aware of this when he whipped around at the puppet's voice, a deeper, more groveled version of his own…

"So, what now 'Sherlock'?" the puppet asked, catching the emcee's attention. Moha sighed, at least his familiar companion could give him someone to actually take with-even if he was, technically, 'arguing with himself…'

"I don't know, you tell me…you know everything I know!" Moha replied, after all, he and his puppet contained all accumulated knowledge of humanity since the beginning of time***…

"Well…everyone's gone! Except for you, me, sparkly face…" he gagged, since they had the same memory and were bound by the same Solstrom, the puppet remembered all the 'forbidden' memories too…

"Princess Stubbornness of the trapeze, and …" the puppet paused as its head swiveled around in the direction of the audience seats, '…that guy! Oh, heck, HIDE ME!" The puppet's head and neck suddenly ducked down behind the emcee/ventriloquist's back. Moha, confused, and looked up in alarm to see who was climbing out of the darkened audience seats and onto the stage…

His face took on an angry snarl as he saw the LAST person he wanted to see. "YOU…"

Brian le petit made his way onto the stage, a hand raised in self-defense, "WHOA, whoa, relax, calm down, take a DEEP BREATH. I know I'm the last person you want to see right now…"

"OF COURSE YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON I WANT TO SEE RIGHT NOW! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW? I DON'T NEED YOUR ANTICS GETTING IN THE WAY RIGHT NOW!"

Brian quickly countered the verbal onslaught, "I DO know what you've been through, because I've been watching from out there!" He gestured the audience seats with a sweep of his hand before continuing his self-defense, "besides, I'm not here to bug you! I want to help you!"

Moha scoffed, folding his arms as his puppet peeked out, cautiously, from behind his shoulder. "YOU-of ALL people-WANTING to HELP ME? I thought you HATED ME!"

Brian shrugged, hands still raised in defense of his own reputation and cause, "well, yeah I know we don't get along…you make WAY too many rules…show up to ruin my fun, kick me out of the show every night," he 'ahemed' himself and muttered under his breath…

'Can't even get a girlfriend…'

"WHAT?" Moha whipped around so fast, his puppet had to cling with its legs, arms AND wrap its neck around one of his master's arms just to keep from falling off his back…

"Nothing! Nothing, but…back to my point, even I'M aware enough about all this…this crazy-whatever-is-going-on! I KNOW you're straight, I KNOW how creeped out you are by that sparkle dude, I KNOW this weird stuff with the tower and the creepy skeletons ISN'T supposed to be happening! If this place where to keep up with all this Halloween-Tim-Burton-meets-Cirque-scenario, this place-the show-could go out of business!"

Brian then took a daring step forward and whispered to Moha as if the walls had ears…

"I've never told you this, but even though I take risks to make YOU angry so the THEY-" he gestured the audience seats- "laugh every night, I AM careful! I don't WANT to lose my job! Do you know how HARD it is to find an Avant-garde position as an usher/clown now-a-days?"

Moha stared at Brian as if the Einstein haired clown-usher had just grown two heads…

"I-I never realized you even HAD limitations…"

Brian shrugged, "well, you NEVER ASKED. You just kicked me out!"

"Alright, I'm sorry," Moha said, half defensively, half sarcastically. "Now, back on track…how can YOU help ME?"

"Right, well…you're not the only one who's had problems…I've had to deal with that Trapeze girl's attitude AND those skeletons that keep attacking…but I've figured a way to fight em'! Since it's so dark in here, I've been carrying around these flashlights…" he pulled out two, brightly shining flashlights from those deep, seemingly endless pockets of his… "And I've figured that if you shine it on them, they don't like it! It keeps them away! However…it doesn't do much otherwise…however, there was this one kid…"

Moha's interest, which had been wavering between frustration and desperation, suddenly peeked in alarm, "..Kid? WHAT kid?"

"Yeah, weirdest thing…this kid, definitely not from Cirque, despite their modern-fantasy-adventure type wear, rushed out of the tower, so I threw them a light to help…but when the kid shined the light on the skeleton, it BLEW UP. I was like…WOW, this kid's actually figured it out! But…then the kid passed out and-well, you probably won't believe me-but they vanished POOF, into thin air-and when I tried the flash-light-blow-up-a-skeleton trick, it didn't work. I couldn't figure out how they did it!"

Moha-Samedi thought for a moment…so the Guardian-HIS protector, the one helping to protect him and his realm (what little of it that WASN'T twisted) by helping write the story-had been able to use light to defend themselves…

He then remembered the blue light from the Guardian's hands, enveloping him, purifying him…he wondered…

"Brian…can I have one of those lights?"

Brian shrugged, "if it means you'll trust me when I say 'I'm trying to HELP you…'"

As soon as the light was in Moha-Samedi's hand, a flash of light surrounded him, blue and bright. The light swirled around him like a soft, calming whirlpool, empowering him with an aura he didn't even know he had…

As soon as the light faded, the puppet peeked from over his shoulder, its eyes TEN TIMES bigger than usual…

"WOOOOOOOOOWWWW…DO THAT AGAIN!"

Moha rolled his eyes, turning his attention to a still stunned Brian, "We can confront those skeletons now…if you're going to come along for the ride, I need your cooperation..."

Brian sighed, "Alright, already, I already said you're the boss! What do we do now?"

"We need to find the Trapeze artist…she's the only one who can free Trickster from Arsulu's influence! Do you remember the last place you saw her?"

Brian suddenly cringed, "Uh-I…uh…yeah, okay, you remember what I said about being behind you 100%?"

"Yes…" Moha did NOT like where this was going…

"…I lied, I'm behind you 80%, cause' the last place I saw her was back stage, and considering the fact that the power is COMPLETELY shot back there…it's basically a death trap. There's NO WAY you're getting me to go back there…AGAIN."

"You know what…" Moha gritted his teeth and shut his eyes…why was everyone who was trying to help him either uncertain of him or themselves, or they were just plain STUBBORN TO THE POINT OF DRIVING HIM INSANE?

"You know, you've already given me this light to defend myself, and the information you've just given me is REALLY all I need. Plus, NO ONE asked you to come in here…so, considering the fact you aren't actually TRAPPED in this mad house, you can either WORK WITH ME or LEAVE."

Brian let out a stubborn sigh, and Moha began swearing at himself in Cirquish…Brian started muttering to himself too, but in English.

"He can't understand you stupid," the puppet said, looking at BOTH the clown AND Ringmaster…

"I think he's talking about YOU 'pinky'" Brian smirked sarcastically.

"Well, EXCUSE-MUA, but I DO believe we were BOTH Muttering to ourselves just now?" Moha snarled, his temper was at a critical point with this man-this infuriating, frustrating MAD-MAN-already as it was…

"Oh will you FLIP OFF ALREADY?" Brian moaned, unaware that FLIP OFF meant something VERY INAPPROPRIATE in Cirque-speak…

"EXCUSE ME?" Moha practically barked, causing Brian to practically fall over in alarm. He may have been brave enough to push the conceited emcee so far, but when he got to the edge…

"Oh, will you both SHUT-UP?"

The female voice caused both men to lost each other's attention and scan the area for the familiar sounding female voice…

"You know she's right…you BOTH IDIOTS!" The puppet suddenly laughed, despite being wise enough to try and keep its mouth shut after being the initiator of the previous conflict…

"How do YOU know?" The clown replied sarcastically, mimicking the puppet's sudden know-it-all attitude.

"Cause' I'm just a puppet, yet even I can see the chick you're lookin' for…SHE'S BEEN WATCHIN' YOU THE WHOLE TIME! LOOK!" the puppet pointed up to the balcony of Kooza's tower, where the Trapeze artist watched them with a prideful, sarcastic sneer on her face. She was obviously GLAD not to be them…

"Trapeze!" Moha-Samedi called out to her, pushing past a suddenly dumb struck Brian. "Please…I need to talk to you!"

Trapeze sneered down at him, "why should I listen to you? You're the one who…"

"I know, I KNOW! Your boyfriend, brainwashed by Arsulu, the skeletons I KNOW ALL THAT! I WROTE IT! But…there's someone helping me, and I think I know of a way to free Trickster from the dark…but I need your help!"

Trapeze sighed, as if to say 'this had BETTER be good,' and swung herself off the railing of the balcony with practiced grace, landing in front of him, with her back to the curtain entrance. "Okay…what have you got for me?"

Moha took a deep breath and stepped forward, keeping enough distance between them to respect her personal space…stubborn with pride or not, she was still a woman, and he was still a gentleman…

"You are Trickster's lover, and you care for him with a great, romantic passion, yes?"

Trapeze seemed quite taken by the way he worded it, but still held her ground, "Yeah?"

Moha took a deep breath, he knew when dealing with those possibly as stubborn as himself, he had to take his time and find the right words, step by step…

He took another, cautious step forward, "You care deeply about him, and want to make certain he doesn't get hurt…especially by whatever darkness is driving him into the decisions he's been making lately…"

Trapeze felt a little strange…since when did this stubborn man who DID this to her…to HER lover…have such a romantic way with words? "…Yes…"

Moha took one final step forward, so he was standing right in front of her, looking down upon her, arms crossed as a sign of respect to personal space…

"You want to look into his eyes…and tell him how much you love him…so he realizes how much he loves you as well?"

Trapeze felt her heart shudder…looking into the man in pink's eyes, she suddenly realized that he really meant what he was saying, he wasn't simply trying to sway her over in his favor as Trickster did…he was relating to her, empathizing with her…UNDERSTANDING HER.

"Y-yes…"

Moha slowly lowered his arms and took her hands into his…slowly and gently, as not to scare her…

"Listen, Trickster is driven towards me for…Arsulu only knows what reason, but he's only coming onto me because of Arsulu…she wants my talent, and in a sick, twisted way wants Trickster to (shudders) SEDUCE ME (cringes) in order to get it! She might as well brainwash him into smooth talking me or something like that, BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO…Don't you see? Somewhere in the dark, there's ALWAYS a light, and for Trickster, you're the ONLY ONE who can re-awaken the light of his love-not just for you, but for ALL OF KOOZA-and get the world back to normal."

Trapeze had to admit, it did make sense…and she had read CRAZIER stories…but…

"I-I don't-know if I can even…I mean…"

"What is wrong, strong yet fragile artist?" Moha-Samedi whispered, trying to still be sympathetic and supportive the only way he knew how to with women, "if there is something still clouding your troubled mind, please tell me. I'm here to ask for your help…but I know you can't help me unless I help you."

"I-" she paused for a brief second, "I've seen him, I used to take one look at him, and he'd smile at me with that sparkle in his eyes…and I'd fall for him, but he'd always catch me before I hurt myself. Yet, now, I look at him…and it's not him. It's somebody else, looking through his eyes…and I don't like that person AT ALL. He keeps me in the dark…I'm so alone here…I just want to see that spark in his eyes…but all I see is black…" she choked back a sob, this was the first time she'd ever let out her true feelings…now she was on the verge of losing it.

Moha cupped her face in his hands, staring in her eyes once more as he wiped away the tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, "You will look into his eyes again. When you do, you may see darkness at first, but I'm convinced that if you hold him, kiss him, and pour all that warm love and affection you've been given by him into him, and you look into his eyes again…I believe you WILL see that spark again, you CAN free him from the darkness…I should know…I would DEFINETLY write it out that way…"

Trapeze closed her eyes as he spoke…the warmth on her face, the way his voice smoothed over her like the waves of the ocean…so familiar…so hypnotic…

Moha-Samedi got worried when her eyes closed and she didn't respond to him. Worried that he may have over-stepped even HIS boundaries, he began to move his hands away from her face and apologize…but the she grasped his hands in hers against her face, opening her eyes slowly as she whispered…

"Your hands…your voice…you sound just like him…and-and I can feel it-the warmth, HIS warmth…I can feel it on your hands…he really HAS touched you…"

Moha-Samedi found himself shivering as one of her hands suddenly reached up to his face and brushed his lips… "Kiss me."

"WHAT?" Moha cried, overly alarmed for even HIS reaction…

He heard Brian let out a low, 'hound-dog' whistle behind him, and even his puppet (which had been playing 'limp' up to this point)subtly whispered, softly in his ear:

'BOW-CHICA-WOW-WOW!' (Right before quickly falling limp again).

Trapeze didn't even notice either the clown nor the puppet as she whispered, "You really HAVE been touched by him, I can feel it now…his warmth, it's all over you…your skin, your lips, your entire being…I miss him so much, all I want-is to feel his warmth, his taste on my lips and tongue again, please…kiss me, let me at least get his taste out of your mouth…and I'll help you…with anything."

Moha gulped, despite his mouth suddenly feeling bone dry with the offer presented before him…kiss this girl-who OBVIOUSLY belonged to someone else-while risking that person's wrath afterwards, and obtain her trust and aid-

Or refuse, stick by his own morals, and lose the chance to free himself from the Trickster's influence-Arsulu's influence-and become trapped in this twisted, gothic nightmare realm forever, never able to see his friends, family, or even obtain his OWN true love…ever.

With the first option out weighing the second, he whispered; "One kiss…just the one?"

"Yes, please…" she even wrapped her arms around his neck to let him know she was certain, "I want you to…"

Moha felt his heart leap into his throat as his hands, which had been on her shoulders, slid down to wrap around her waist…they both closed their eyes, Brian crossing his fingers in the background, as they leaned towards each other…

But then a huge shrieking noise caught them both off guard as the curtain blew open behind Trapeze…

Skeleton hands rushed out, reaching to grasp the Trapeze artists arms, legs and hair from behind, yanking her backwards-she cried out in alarm as they did so. Yet in a moment of adrenaline and panic, Moha managed to hold onto one of her hands as the huge wave of skeletons threatened to pull her into the dark of the tower…

"HELP ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "PLEASE DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!"

"TRAPEZE, HOLD ON!" The man in pink cried out, still holding onto her for dear life, "ITS ALL RIGHT, I WON'T LET THEM TAKE YOU!"

Suddenly, one of the skeletons reached forward and grasped his hand. Almost as if by instinct, his hand was immediately enwrapped in a blue flame of light-

"OW! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" Trapeze suddenly cried. Moha immediately-yet reluctantly-extinguished the flame; How could he save her from the dark WITHOUT his power-?

Suddenly, one of the skeletons-and yes, this was QUITE embarrassing yet still painful all the same-SLAPPED HIM IN THE FACE. In a moment of shock, Moha's hand loosened, accidently losing grasp of her hand…

As he fell backwards, time seemed to slow around him…

He saw the Trapeze artist's shocked face as the skeletons pulled her into the shadows behind the closing curtain…

His eyes widened in shock and terror…

Time returned to normal as he flipped heels over head in a rolling back-flip before landing on his hands and knees, forehead pressed against the ground…

"Pink, PINK! You okay?" Brian quickly ran up behind him, but stopped when he saw the ringmaster look up at the now closed curtains…

…and in an almost unpredictable moment of adrenaline, Moha rushed towards it to charge the tower, but as he went to thrust the curtain wide open, there was a flash of pink and black from his body, stopping him as he grimaced in shock and pain.

Moha fell to the floor, clutching himself. He looked at his arms and chest…even from underneath his black shirt and magenta vest, the marks where visible due to the glow…he couldn't go in, no matter what.

In a moment of quick thought, he turned towards Brian, "You have to go in."

"WHAT? No way!"

"Come on, help me out here for once! "

"Nuh-UH! There's no way I could fend for myself the way YOU can, and look how far YOU can get without falling down…"

Moha once again bent his head down till' his forehead touched the stage…Brian was actually RIGHT (for once)…how could he protect others WITHOUT being taken advantage of-?

Suddenly…

"OH GOD! Look at the shadows man! LOOK OUT!"

His puppet's cry caused Moha-Samedi to whip his head up as he saw the huge wave of shadows-living, thriving and ALIVE-making its way from the back stage…

"Brian! The tower! It's the only place where we can be safe-!"

"For YOU maybe, but for me-NO WAY!" Brian screamed at the top of his lungs over the roaring shadows, "I'm headed into the audience-they never go there!"

"What about…"

"FORGET IT! You're on your own for now man! I'M GONE!" Brian screamed as he jumped off the stage, flashlight in hand, into the shadows of the audience.

Moha-Samedi swore under his breath as he ran, fast as he could, up the side stairs leading to the Trickster's balcony room of the Kooza tower. The shadows were quickly making their way towards the tower, tendrils of black, inky liquid darkness, curling around the railing and working their way up the stairs…

"Hurry up man, HURRY UP!" the puppet screamed over his shoulder.

"I know, I KNOW!" Samedi screamed back as he lunged for the door, practically dove inside…

And SLAMMED it shut behind him, locking it and barricading it with the desk chair…he was safe, for now…

Moha breathed a sigh of shaky, uncomfortable relief…the Trapeze artist, the only one who could help free Trickster, had been taken by darkness, Brian had ditched him…he wasn't sure even his newfound power could help him out of this mess…

Remembering the child, his Guardian, who had given him the power, he looked thoughtfully towards his desk-the Trickster had even organized it for him, so the finished pages were on the left, with any unfinished pages in the middle, and clean, blank sheets of paper on the right.

"Maybe I COULD write something out…" Moha whispered to himself thoughtfully…

That's when his puppet chose to intervene; "but you KNOW that's what they want…"

"Yes…but maybe they'll leave me alone…for a while…plus, I must confess, I have always been curious to see what the Guardian's world looks like…perhaps I'll cut them a break…"

The Puppet rolled its eyes (if it had the capability to do that), "whatever, you're DEFINETLY on your own man…" The puppet finally fell limp, unwrapping itself completely from Moha's shoulders and falling to the floor.

'Alone at last,' Moha thought to himself as he scooped the limp puppet up and place it on the bed. Using the comfy chair in place of the desk chair (still barricading the door shut), he sat down at his desk and stared, thinking long and hard, at the half finished paper in front of him;

'And so he sat down at his desk, thinking long and hard…'

Moha read this sentence, and smiled thoughtfully at the Guardian's unique penmanship…then he wrote as he whispered the words softly to himself;

"Don't worry, my Guardian. Put the pen down and rest…I'll take over from here…"

As he began to write, however, a pair of hands and a face appeared over the comfort chair, over-shadowing his work…before he could even turn around, a feminine voice, dark with desire, whispered:

"Boo"

As he whipped around, the lights in the room went out…

*BOO-YAH! WHEW, got it done…and more to come!

**Conjurer=Franco Dragone, creator of Mystere

Oracle=Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque Du Soleil

***Official Cirque Du Soleil definition-copyright


	11. Rivalry's Price

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Rivalry's Price

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake. WARNING: One-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi…fortunately, not-so-much in this chapter…Now, where were we…something about the lights going out-?

I sighed and put my pen down as the power went out, my room now in darkness. It was night, I had been writing all day-but it COULDN'T have been coincidence…the lights had gone out just as they had in the story…I had to check up on it.

However, just as I had gotten up from my seat and book marked my place when something-or someone-caught the corner of my eye right outside the window-the silhouette of a figure, too dark to tell who-

However, just as I turned towards the window to get a closer look-the figure vanished from site at a speed to supernatural to be human…

I felt my stomach lurch-it COULDN'T be…could it?

I looked at my journal on the table…I had been writing all day, the man in pink had taken over for me…night had fallen in my world. If the story where somehow merging into my world…

I HAD to be certain…only one thing to do…

I HAD to investigate.

I grabbed my journal, pen, some spare writing paper, the programs for Mystere and Kooza, my phone, some spare batteries, and my flash light, stuffing them all into a bag…I was ready.

I stepped out into the night of my small, yet still large even for any small, east-coast-river-side town, cul-de-sac. It was a cool, yet slightly warm, autumn night, with a very thin, faint mist. I looked around cautiously…it was quiet…TOO quiet…

It was also a tad warm…TOO warm…then again, I was probably making that up[ in my head for the drama of the moment…it was just like a movie, the brave hero going out in the middle of (okay, so it was actually pretty early) of the night, to investigate the strange, supernatural terrors…

But, that was just a dream…wasn't it? I was starting to think that maybe it WAS all in my head…

Then I saw it…heard it, FELT its presence…there, next to the tree in my front lawn, was a shrouded, shadowy almost shapeless being, made COMPLETELY of shadows, almost glowing in the faint moon light…

'Moon Shadow, Lune Ombre…'

Moha-Samedi's voice echoed in my head…Lune was obviously 'Moon' French (what I remembered from my limited dictionary of French, anyways), so Ombre must have meant Shadow. The 'Lune Ombre' LUNGED at me without a warning, but this time I did NOT flinch, dodge or run…

Almost by instinct, I shined the light at it.

My hands glowed with blue flames, illuminating; swirling around the flashlight…and then shot itself from my light towards the Moon Shadow…it exploded, disappearing upon impact.

THIS proved it. I wasn't dreaming…the story was real, and now it was slowly seeping into my world…

As I took in the shock of my realization, I didn't notice somebody creeping up behind me…

I whipped around too late…whoever it was whacked me over the head with the butt of their OWN flashlight, knocking me out cold.

I woke up what felt like a few minutes later, my head slightly throbbing. I looked around, my flashlight was still in my hand…but wait-where was my bag?

At that moment, my phone rang, and I saw my bag leaning up against the tree-how had it gotten over there?

I half-crawled, half-dragged myself over to the tree, quickly reaching into my bag, pulling out my still ringing phone…I checked clock… 10:00PM! Hadn't it been 6:00PM when I went out?

I answered the call… "Hello?"

"Stop whatever you're doing RIGHT NOW. You'll do EXACTLY what I say…"

The voice burned my ears. It was my rival…how had HE gotten my number?

I knew him well…TOO well…we had once been friends, he and I, due to our similar love for Cirque Du Soleil. Then he changed…he became aggressive, selfish and rude, claiming he knew more about the shows than I ever would. I told him, it wasn't about KNOWING, it was about ENJOYING…

He wouldn't hear any of it. He even stole a fanfiction of mine and posted it, long ago, with some edits of his own…but I reported him, and he got banned from the site he'd posted it on.

This was NOT the time I wanted to hear his voice…

"What do you want?"

"You'll do exactly what I say…wait, you haven't noticed yet? I gave you a good 4 hours and you never picked up your cell! Don't tell me you just woke up!"

"Notice wha-" I stopped as I looked into my bag; Journal, check, pen, check, batteries, check…

Wait- "Where're my programs?"

"You'll do EXACTLY what I say if you want to see them-or your PUNKISH, HEADSTRONG FRIEND, ever again."

Friend? What friend…wait, he didn't mean the trapeze artist from Kooza…did he? How'd…

"Meet me in the playground, and we'll talk. Remember, I've got a time limit, my old man won't be home to check on me till' MIDNIGHT. Don't do nothin' stupid either…WE'RE WATCHING."

He hung up. Fortunately the playground was less than five minutes of a walk from my house…and I RAN over there.

When I got over there, I couldn't see him…he wasn't waiting at the benches, or swings, or…

"HEY! Up here!" I looked up and saw him on the upper platform for the slide in the jungle gym. I quickly climbed up.

I reached the top of the platform, he was leaning against the rail casually. He wore a heavy, black hoodie, the hood puled over his head. From behind the coke rimmed glasses, he leered at me, a sickening smile on his face. I hadn't seen him this sickeningly happy since he told me he had seen the Beatles Love in Vegas…in which in turn, I beat him by stating how I had seen Mystere (twice), O, KA, and the Beatles Love.

That, however, was not why I was here. As far as I was concerned, besides him possibly having the trapeze artist, this was a HUGE waste of time…

"Well…didn't think you'd me brave nough' to show…"

"Cut the smart-aleck act," I growled at him, I was still ticked at him for knocking me out-it had been uncalled for, "where is she-"

"I knew you where going to say that," he sneered, cutting me off, as he always did. "She said you would, just like this 'story' you wrote…"

Who was 'she?' He didn't mean…Arsulu?

"So…you merged Mystere and Kooza…you think you're a genius, a know-it-all…a show off. Well guess what-YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE A PHONY! NO ONE should be able to defy the rules of Cirque and merge two shows together, NOBODY! It's, like, rule-number-one in the Cirque fanfiction-rule book!"

I shook my head, "so what? It's been done, and no one's gotten in trouble for it! Besides, there is NO rule book for fanfiction!"

He didn't even listen, "Look, I want the ENTIRE story, cover to cover, or your friend-" he pulled out my programs for Mystere and Kooza- "and THESE, are gonna suffer bad!"

As he slapped the two programs together, rubbing them, separating them, slapping them together again, in a repeating pattern over and over, I noticed something symbolic about the pattern; No matter how hard he rubbed them together, as though trying to blend them into each other, they remained separate…

The programs were more than just visual aid for my story-they were symbols of Mystere and Kooza still being two separate realms. I HAD to get them back-AND save the Trapeze artist.

I lunged for them, but he dodged out of the way, quickly tucking both programs into his jacket, "Down low, too slow," he sneered with a smirk, trying to sound cool.

"You hurt her OR those I swear I'll…"

"What, WHAT? Scream at me in gibberish? You all talk, no show, pink-face! You're even more of a fool than the Man in Pink from Mystere! You may ACT like a TRUE fan…but you're a phony…a joke!"

His words burned against my ears. Telling me I was a phony (he said it ALL the time-get some new material, 'champ') was one thing-but calling Moha-Samedi the fool was TOTALLY UN-CALLED for. He was already dealing with ENOUGH problems as it was…he already had to deal with a mad-man like Brian, he DIDN'T need to be insulted by a 'thinks-he-knows-it-all' behind his back…

Angrily, I lunged at him…which wasn't the wisest option, since it sent us both FREE-FALLING over the edge of the railing and onto the wood chips below.

Fortunately, it was not that far of a fall, and I managed to get up and brush myself off…it was then I noticed the program for Kooza nearby. As I grabbed it, my rival got up and saw I had gotten one of the programs. In a panic (not so tough guy when you get flung over the edge, are you?), he rushed off into the night. I heard him call out as he ran;

"This isn't over! You hear me, you bring the story to the observation platform overlooking the boat docks, or you'll be sorry! DEADLINE'S STILL MIGNIGHT!"

"Come back here! You hurt her or that program, I'll make YOU sorry, you hear me? I SWEAR IT! COME BACK HERE!" I screamed out into the night, but he was already gone.

The observation platform was about 15 minutes away, and it was already 10:15PM. I HAD to make a dash for it. As I was running, however, I found myself running into Lune Ombres, left and right. It was as if picking up the program for Kooza had CURSED me…they kept targeting me, left and right…but I STILL had my flash light, and I was able to fight them off as I made my way to the end of the cul-de-sac…

However, it still took up A LOT of time…it was 11:00PM by the time I got to the gate leading to the platform-just as I was about to enter, I saw an ENTIRE SWARM OF LUNE OMBRES, coming at me.

I quickly dove behind the gate, but at the speed and agility they were moving, they'd be able to jump it easily. In a foolish moment of panicked adrenaline, I SHINED MY LIGHT on the gate to FIND THE LOCK…

As I shined the light upon the gate, I felt the bright blue glow of light spread down my arm into my flashlight, shining runes onto the gate…the Lune Ombres lunged forward at me…I cringed, but there was no need…upon coming within range of the gate, the runes flashed, destroying the Moon Shadows.

My eyes widened in amazement. Somehow, by shining my light and power over the gate I'd formed some kind of barrier…I was safe, there was no way they could get into the observation platform area.

As I made my way down the steps to the platform, I heard someone call out to me; "HEY! Phony, that you?"

"Yes, YES! It's me, I'm coming! Don't do ANYTHING, I'm coming!"

Then I heard him cry out again…but not to me, "Wha-ah, no, NO! GET AWAY! I'm sorry, please lady, if I'd known THIS was what you wanted…I DIDN'T KNOW! I SWEAR I DIDN'T KNOW!"

I felt myself rush the pace…was he talking with Arsulu?

"I don't have their 'friend!' I don't even know who she is! I just said that cause' you told me too!"

Wait…he DIDN'T have the trapeze artist? Then why-this was getting more enigmatic by the minute-I HAD to get down there…

As I reached the platform, he was just sitting there, on his knees, hood off his head as his messy hair fell into his face…he was crying, begging…

"Please-I-I'm sorry, I-didn't know…"

He looked up and pointed somewhere off to my left, the Mystere program lay on the ground, next to what looked to be a flare…

"Just take it-please…I-I didn't know…"

"Didn't know what? What did she tell you?" I asked. I'd only seen my rival THIS upset once before-back when we were in elementary school.

He opened his mouth as if to say something…

Yet never got to say it, as a HUGE BLACK TORNADO OF DARKNESS materialized behind him. He screamed as it lifted him off the ground.

Realizing I couldn't save him (in a twisted way, it probably served him right), I lunged for the program and flare…I grabbed them both, stuffing the Mystere program in my bag just in the right stroke of time, as the tornado sucked me off the ground…

I managed to light the flare as the tornado sucked me in-sensing the light, it practically spit me out, and I found myself screaming as I fell towards the dark waters below…

Without even thinking about it, I let go of the flare just before I hit the water, it spun around with in a single, spinning stream of light, not going out right away. As I saw the darkness below, awaiting my arrival, memories of my 'dreams' flashed before my eyes…

Moha-Samedi, lying on Trickster's bed, his shirt off, markings exposed…the Trickster lay behind him, stroking the marks with a smile on his face…Moha looked upset and weak…

Then I saw the Trapeze artist, as she was dragged by the wave of skeletons into the darkness of the tower…

The my eyes opened, my body turning right side up, so the darkness was below me, awaiting to welcome me in its dark embrace. Without really thinking about it, I looked at my hands-they now had the same marking Moha had on them…a white moon, a black sun…

Suddenly, something shined on me from above-light. Warm, pure light, shining on me from above…

My hands outstretched beside me, I felt the darkness of the water tugging at me from below as I embraced the light…

A hand reached from the light towards me, making a motion similar to when Trickster sent me back into my realm…

Yet even though I was facing the light, my world still faded to black…

*And scene. I must confess, when I was watching the end of episode 3 in Alan Wake walkthrough on youtube, the scene where Alan's in the water, reflecting on Alice and the small portion of his forgotten memories…and with the background music, it really hit me as a 'embrace the darkness AND the light' scene, since at first he accepts he's probably just going to drown…then the light appears, and he just lets himself black out. Anyway, now getting' on to the next chappie ;)


	12. Crazy IS Sanity

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Crazy…IS Sanity

*Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is slightly based off Alan Wake. WARNING: one-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

I awakened, my eyes adjusting to the bright light surrounding me. It hurt my eyes at first, but then a figure stepped into my view, making the glare more tolerable…

"Sh, it's okay kid; it was just a nightmare…"

Her red costume with the heart, her ruby highlighted hair…it was too good to be true…

"Trapeze…artist-"

However, her figure suddenly blurred, and her voice changed, my heart leapt in my chest and stopped completely at the female doctor before me, dimming the light-

"There you go, child…"

That blonde hair-those black highlights-those icy, fake eyes…

"Arsulu…"

"…I'm sorry-I'm afraid you're still confused-my name is Ursa-Dr. Ursa Poltergeist-I had to give you a sedative, DON'T FIGHT IT. You went through another rough period!"

"I-what?"

"You're a patient at my clinic…have been, for a while now."

"What-no, you're lying…"

"You're suffering from various symptoms of paranoid delusional fantasies."

I couldn't focus…her words-RANG through my head…it hurt, A LOT. Moha…can't focus any more…help me…please…help me-and I'll help…you…

"You son-of a…Witch…"

'Ursa,' as she called herself, suddenly took the Trapeze artist's form again, her voice seemed blurred with darkness…and the Trickster's voice.

"It's OK Guardian…JUST LET GO."

…

Moha-Samedi arched as his eyes shot open, he was suddenly WIDE AWAKE. That dream with the Guardian…was that for real? Alarmed, he tried to sit up…but did so too quickly as his head suddenly reeled with dizziness. He felt…groggy. Whatever that woman had done to him after he blacked at had left him feeling numb. He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to shake off the feeling. He felt as though he were watching himself…or someone else-go through this, but not him…

Just like that, trickster was next to him, leaning over his shoulder, smiling slyly. Moha jumped a little. Considering he was used to it at this point (and he was pumped on something-a spell, medication?), it didn't spook him as much as usual.

"Hello handsome, are we feeling better? Calmer, maybe?"

"Well, considering how tired I am, I guess I have no choice BUT to be calm…"

Trickster chuckled, "well, for someone who's tired at least you have a sense of humor...I read through your piece, it's BRILLIANT. The world is turning out MAGNIFICANTLY under your penmanship."

Trickster took Moha's hand and placed a kiss upon it, Moha felt as though all the feeling had drained out of it, so he couldn't pull it away…

"Right, well, why don't we help you wake up a little? A walk, some fresh air…maybe even a look at some of the glorious progress you're making? Yes, it will do you good!"

Trickster wrapped an arm around Moha's waist and helped him up. Arm-and-arm, trickster took Moha outside and onto the balcony, overlooking the audience.

"Ah, I'm never going to get tired of this view! Very…enigmatic, isn't it?" asked Trickster, making a grand sweeping motion with his arm towards the audience seats.

The audience seats where much darker than Samedi remembered…where was Brian? For some reason, Moha suddenly felt concerned for the clown's well-being…was Brian alright?

Before he could continue on the thought, he was led down the stairs to the main part of the tower. As they entered, Moha saw that it was not the dark cavern he had seen the Trapeze artist disappear into, but a gothic-Victorian lounge area. On one side of the room was a beautiful, VERY confortable looking love seat with drapes pulled off to the side, made so they could pull around the love seat, as though to introduce privacy to whoever was sitting upon it…

However, the first thing that caught Moha-Samedi's eye was what was to the RIGHT side of the room…

Four clowns-A King, a sleazy looking man in a rumpled suit, and two childish looking clowns, one bald, the other round-were all sitting in what appeared to be a GIANT BIRDCAGE. The king was foolishly overlooking the lounge from the upper platform of the cage through a telescope, the sleazy man was admiring himself and practicing 'flirt-tactics' in a mirror, and the two, more child-like cohorts were taking turns on a swing.

As the two of them entered, the four of them stopped what they were doing to steal a quick glance at the two-but once look from the Trickster, and they were back to what they were normally doing.

Trickster motioned Moha to sit with him on the love seat, observing the clowns in the cage, all dressed in red and black. "Such pity it is with what you're left over with during the creative process, isn't it? The King and his cohorts…symbols of childlike insanity, and of course the pickpocket-" He made certain to point out the pickpocket as the sleazy man in front of the mirror, where the king was obvious with his crown and the cohorts being on the swing- "a common crook no more…but I'm certain we'll find SOMETHING to do with them…"

Trickster turned to Samedi, catching his glance and smiling at him mischievously, "Am I right-my romantic artist?"

Moha didn't even know why he was blushing. This man, who scared every sane being out of him, suddenly had the power to make him go weak in the knees-and he wasn't even attracted to him romantically. "I-I suppose-"

Trickster suddenly put his fingers to Moha's lips, and with a smile on his face, pulled the leather cord that drew the curtains around the love seat, blocking them from the clown's sight…

As soon as they were hidden away, Moha didn't even have time to think before Trickster's lips were upon him. This time he didn't hear the Guardian's voice, not even as Trickster pushed his into the cushions, his hand delving underneath his shirt. Moha's breath hitched as Trickster's hands massaged his arms, feeling the ever-sensitive markings there-everywhere on his torso and arms were sensitive with the markings that had been left on him.

Trickster grinned as he undid Moha's vest, only undoing half the buttons of his shirt. He kissed the markings there, causing Moha's breathing to become heavier as he desperately tried to regain control…

Trickster then took Moha's hands and placed them on his shirt, possessing his hands once again to undo the buttons and trace his hands across Trickster's torso. The Trickster hissed with pleasure and kissed Samedi once more, the man in pink felt the air turn to ice, forcing him against his will to rely on Trickster's body for warmth.

Trickster's smile became deadly as he rubbed the markings on the Emcee's back, having nearly been forgotten, as his hands made their way down the man in Pink's spine, around his waist, and began to undo his belt-!

Suddenly, the lights, red, blue and purple to set the lounge aglow, went out, leaving only shadows and the faint light from outside the tower for visual site.

Trickster sighed, "This will NOT do…"

He traced a single finger up and down a still shaken-yet very relieved-ringmaster's spine. "You'll have to excuse me, my Narrator, I'm afraid the power's been acting up…I must check upon it. Meanwhile when you feel up to it, perhaps you can incorporate those poor souls over there-" he gestured the clowns from behind the curtain- "and maybe even fix this little power problem-by returning to your room and trying to write. After all, it would save us both A LOT of trouble…"

He leaned forward and captured the Narrator's unwilling lips in one last kiss, still messaging the marks on his body, sending warm, pleasurable waves of heat up and down his limbs…

He broke this kiss and whispered, "Don't you think?" Then he exited, leaving the poor, exhausted yet finally awake emcee to quickly pull his shirt, vest and bow tie back on…

As Moha finally came out from behind the curtain, he heard one of the clowns-the pickpocket-mutter openly for all to hear, "I'd like to bash his head in with a HAMMER!"

"Ah, he thinks he knows our secrets," the King interrupted, also catching the attention of the other two clowns as well, "but he doesn't have a clue! He's not crazy enough! Nope, not crazy like us, people of the court!"

"YEAH!" Both the cohorts cried out as they tried to perform a flip off the platform they were standing on using the swing-but failed as they both got tangled up, eventually snapping the swing and ending up in a big pile on the floor.

"Being crazy's a requirement, man!" the King continued his shpeel as the two cohorts continued to struggle in an attempt to untangle themselves. "Who else can understand the world when it's like this? It TAKES crazy to KNOW crazy!"

Moha blinked, approaching the cage with caution…he actually agreed with that logic…

"That's…actually the sanest thing I've heard in a while." Moha whispered quietly, arms folded in deep thought. His concentration was broken when the pickpocket reached through the bars of the cage, giving him a solid, friendly man-slap on the back.

"Ha ha, YES! You are most certainly right, yes? I like you my friend! We like him no?" He asked this to the King and his just barely untangled cohorts, stilled joined at the arms by the swing rope still hooking their arms together. Suddenly the cohorts started jumping up and down like kids in school, wanting to be chosen for the right answer…

Moha gave the King a confused look, but the King just motioned for him to pick one of them…

"Yes…you." Moha picked the round clown, much to his delight.

"He-he should go to the light room!"

Yeah, the light room! VALHALLA!" The bald clown squealed with delight, striking a rock pose.

"We wrote it all down, lest we forget," added the round clown, almost serious as he continued where his bald-other left off, "a crash course, his majesty's orders…you need to find the message!"

"Oh, ooh…HERE!" the bald clown suddenly cried out, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, "I found this! That stripy guy dropped it when you walked in, but I kept it safe from him, the Trickster!"

Moha-Samedi nodded and put the paper in his pocket for safe keeping as the clowns continued their insane bickering.

"Y'know I just noticed…you don't like that guy even though he treats you like royalty, right? Well, I just noticed…Pink and Black? That's not very STRAIGHT, if you know what I mean, my friend!" The pickpocket declared.

"Aw, he's just lost, that's all," the King declared, "She got to him too, the witch."

"She used us all! Took everything from everyone, the hag!" Added the round cohort, "She's been using you too, and you let her! You opened the door for her!" the round cohort suddenly pointed to Moha as if he'd just been made Cirque Du Soleil's top ten.

"Aw, it was already open a crack!" The King insisted, "Whose fault is that, hm? Trickster's always been open to new ideas…we're ALL morally corrupt, Trickster had already opened the door a crack, and even HE doesn't realize he's lost control!"

"DOESN'T MEAN HE HAD TO GO AND OPEN IT ALL THE WAY!" the bald cohort screamed, pointing at Samedi. He suddenly shrieked and struck a karate pose, but the King stopped him, and all four clowns huddled together…

Then they got into a line, and began to snap their fingers, moving towards him in a Jazz-gang styled rhythm, snapping their fingers to an invisible beat, over-dramatic anger in their eyes…

They stopped just at the bars of the cage. Moha stared at them…

"Uh…you know there are bars preventing you from attacking me, right?"

"Uh…" The King froze for a good few seconds before…

"KIDDING!" All four clowns began to tackle insanely, screaming things like 'aw man, the look on his face!' 'yeah, he's like 'ah, I'm gonna die!' and then…

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" The voice practically exploded from above them, causing everyone to fall silent as the voice and some other noises banged above their heads…

"YOU HEAR ME YOU STRIPED FREAK? I'M GONNA SUE YOU TO SHREDS!"

Moha immediately recognized the voice. Without a word, he rushed out of the room, up the stairs into Trickster's room. Fortunately the Trickster wasn't there, but something new was…a box-more importantly, Brian Le Petit's box. The part with the bars was face against a wall, but the key was on top of the box…Moha took the key and unlocked the door-Brian came tumbling out head over heels.

"Brian! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually glad to see you…even if you did ditch me…"

"Well, I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm glad to see you too!" Brian declared as he got up to his feet, cleaning himself up. "I came back to look for you after the darkness subsided a bit…but I had no clue where you were! So, I came in here and that stripy show-off stuffed me in there!" He gestured the box.

"Brian, I need to get to the room of light…according to this paper one of the clowns downstairs gave me, it should be opposite tower to my room…do you know where the golf-car used in the show is?"

"It's parked right under YOUR balcony," Brian stated, glad to be of assistance.

Moha looked over to the desk, all the papers had been stacked to the left-there were no blank or half-finished papers left…

"These were all the pages I had on me…and more!" Samedi whispered to himself. However, as he began to flip through them, a sudden feeling came over him…

He suddenly felt-tired, weak…

"Uh…Pink guy…" Brian's concerned voice was the last thing Moha heard before…

!

I found myself in an office. My journal was opened in front of me, pen in my hand, bag slung over my arm…how had I gotten here?

The door swung open behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the 'good' Doctor Poltergeist walk in, "Please, child, you're falling into another episode-"

There was a walking cane right next to me. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the cane and pointed it in her direction, "TELL ME ONE MORE LIE AND I'LL HIT YOU IN THE FACE!"

Ursa sighed, removing her glasses, revealing her dark, onyx eyes…

"Ah, well, it was worth a shot…I mean really, kid, c'mon…let's work together on this! You have no idea of the talent you're…"

"Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed, before a surge of pain overtook me, forcing my eyes shut…

!

Moha-Samedi blanked out of his strange vision, and found himself, hat on his head, pointing his cane at about a HUGE SWARM OF LUNE OMBRE SKELETONS.

Brian, cornering himself out of sight against a wall, gave him a worried 'what do we do now?' glance.

'You have my puppet?' Moha mouthed.

Brian showed him the puppet, strapped to his back like a back pack. It waved at him urgently, but didn't speak.

'Get the car and meet me in the audience, now. GO!'

Brian quickly slipped out behind the skeletons as Moha reached behind him and took out his flashlight…

The Lune Ombres lunged at him as he shined the light through the diamond on top of his cane…

!

I came to my senses, holding the flashlight and walking stick in Ursa's direction, just as she knocked both out of my hands, knocking me down to the floor. She immediately grabbed both my arms and pinned me against the desk.

"Sh, don't scream, there's no one here, just you and me…" her voice was sickly sweet and darkly alluring as she pinned my wrists together with one hand, the other hand stroking my cheek and running through my hair…

I panicked, I didn't want this! "Let me go…please!"

She smiled, "Now, now, don't you see? Together we can create something absolutely wonderful, something powerful…"

Her face became dangerously close to mine, a memory of Trickster enwrapping his hands around Moha-Samedi from behind on the first night of realizing his nightmare turned reality flashed through my mind, as I began to shake my head, begging 'no.." under my breath…

"…Something beautiful. Yes, with your ability and my-!"

Suddenly, the bookshelf fell over, blocking the doorway to the hall. Without thinking twice, I saw Ursa was distracted and pushed her out of the way, grabbing my journal, flashlight and bag, I ran out the door and slammed it shut behind me. I then locked the door (foolish woman had left the key in the lock) and listened as she screamed, re-claimed by the same darkness that had created her.

Then the building shook on its very foundation…I had to get out. Grabbing the keys, I ran through the building-objects, inanimate, were being brought to life by the darkness all around me, I used my flashlight to clear the path as I ran through door after door of the building, using the keys I'd grabbed to clear any locked doors. Finally, I ran out the front door…

Many steps away from the clinic building, in the form of a patio house, I collapsed. Turning around, I noticed the dark smoke pouring from the windows…it wasn't fire. I'd just barely escaped. Yet I was so tired…

I couldn't go on. I clutched my journal tightly to me as I lost consciousness…

!

Moha-Samedi awoke in front of the Kooza tower, clutching the manuscript pages, bound together by an elastic band, to his chest. Up ahead, he saw light in the audience seats…

"Hey Pink, PINK GUY! I'M HERE!" Brian screamed from the audience as darkness began to swirl from the back stage again. Moha ran through the audience seats, practically flinging himself on top of the car…

"Yo, I found the car…but one of the headlights is shot from when I had to ram one of the freaks!"

"We're going to need a flashlight-I'll take care of the Lune Ombres…but I lost mine…"

"Take this!" Brian quickly handed him his light, feeling a strange sense of deja vu…this was just like when he'd handed that random kid his first light…

Without another word, they took off into the entrance for stage left, under the balcony for the stage, "We'll have to use the back stage stairs, verses climbing up with all the darkness out there…" Moha explained.

When they finally reached the top of the stairs (five flights of stairs? Seriously, this had BETTER be good…) and entered the room. Inside on top of a table next to two beds, two chairs, and a mirror was an electric lantern, a box PACKED with batteries, and what appeared to be a rolled up piece of paper.

"Of course…this must be the message the King clown's cohorts were talking about!" Moha whispered as he unrolled the paper, Brian and his puppet peeking over his shoulder to read…

'…and now to see your world set free…

You'll need the Guardian's pen and Key…

Find the Scarlet Ruby light

Still silent with her love and pride,

That's how you re-shape destiny…*'

"Oh, that's gotta be-what's-her-face…the stubborn Trapeze artist who wanted you to kiss her!"

"Right, must be," said Moha-Samedi as he set his things down on the table. "We can't go anywhere right now, we'll have to rest here and then we can search for her as soon as the darkness clears up…"

After settling in, the Ringmaster, clown and puppet finally got to talk…hopefully without arguing.

"I'm crazy…but that's fine Brian." Moha said as he examined the markings on his hands…he was still trying to get the near-seduction episode out of his head, playing over and over again like a broken record. He didn't even want to THINK of what Trickster had been planning to do when he got his belt off…

Brian cackled, amused "Oh, you got that right Pink, you're barking mad, you are by far, the CRAZIEST-"

"BUT maybe that's inevitable when you're dealing with crazy stuff like this! It helps! The dark-whatever this is-it ISN'T Trickster's fault! Arsulu-the witch-I've seen her! Trickster has always had a special gift with works of art-he makes them come true! There's a catch however-Arsulu is using her influence over Trickster's power to twist the story to her own ends, and Trapeze, her love is the only one who can break the spell!"

"Look man, I believe you! Crazy or not, "Brian took a deep breath, "You aren't delusional, weird stuff's goin' down, and I'm on-board man, especially because-I think I'm goin' nuts too."

Moha-Samedi blinked, "what do you mean?"

"Well…you know that kid I was talking about before?"

"Yes?"

Brian simply pointed to the mirror. As Moha-Samedi turned, his eyes widened in both happiness and shock…

The mirror now showed the Guardian's room, the Guardian themself asleep on the bed.

*CUT, PRINT, MAKE EXTRAS MOVIN' ON!

*Lyrics re-done from "Tom the Poet and his muse," from Alan Wake soundtrack.


	13. Unexpected Arrivals

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Unexpected Arrivals

*Mystere and Kooza both belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake. WARNING: Slight-one-sided-slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

My eyes IMMEDIATELY shot wide open, as I found myself on my bed-in my own room, clutching the journal to my chest with such ferocity, I thought my hands were going to fall off…

However, that, at the moment, did NOT concern me as I whipped around to face my mirror…

Yet I saw NOTHING, whereas I WAS expecting to see Moha-Samedi staring at me…

'Maybe I've FINALLY woken up?' I pondered as I arose from the bed and approached the mirror. I went to place my hand upon the glass…

THAT was the moment my door went flying open, and my mother rushed in, immediately embracing me with open arms.

"Oh, THANK GOD! You've finally woken up! I TOLD the doctors you weren't in a coma or needed to go to the hospital! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe…" She cradled me in her arms, like she used to do when I was a kid…

"Mom, what are you talking about? What's…?"

I stopped when I saw the female officer behind her…

"Mom, what's going on?"

The officer took off her hat, out of respect, "Young one, sorry for the interruption, but…to answer your question, I'm afraid your mother here is referring to the fact that we found you in front of the abandoned Patio-styled-pediatrician's building earlier tonight…our men had been staking the place for some time now…we had our sites on a confirmed felon posing as a doctor and kidnapping children to perform…" he paused briefly… "Bizarre psychological experiments, shall we say."

My heart sunk, I shook my head confused. Mom put my face in her hands, looked into my eyes and whispered, "honey, I thought she'd kidnapped you…but when they found you, you were unconscious, but not hurt or anything…I'm so glad you're okay…"

The female officer interrupted, "I'm sorry, but we need to ask you a couple of questions…"

I put my hand up before the officer could finish…and told her everything that had happened to me that night (slightly sugar-coating some pieces here and there). I only told him that I had gone out for a walk, got head-butted from behind, awoke in the patio, managed to escape while "Dr. Poltergeist," as she'd called herself was distracted, and passed out in front of the patio.

Fortunately, the officer was friendly, like a teacher on the first day of middle school, and didn't hassle me too much, but her last question (which he kept brief) made my skin crawl.

"I hate to put more weight on your shoulders, but…there's a boy who also lives in this same neighborhood, he went missing as well…description states he goes to the same school you do, usually wears a black hooded jacket…do you know ANYTHING about him?"

I held my shoulders as I whispered, "I-I don't know where he is, I didn't see him…but I know him from school…"

I saw my mom lean towards the officer and whisper, "they used to be friends…"

The officer nodded in understanding, "I see, well, nothing further then."

After she left, mom began to do what I had feared the officer would do…she began to pester me.

"Are you SURE you're alright? Can I get you anything? You didn't give your address did you…"

"MOM I'M FINE!"

I must have cried out TOO loudly, because she jumped back with a look of hurt on her face SO bad, I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.

"Sorry-I'm just…I'm okay, she didn't do anything-she just tried to spook me."

She nodded, "Okay…I'll make you some tea, and you should try to get some sleep, alright?"

I nodded; she gave me a peck on the forehead and left…

Just as I was recovering from the shock that my run-in with Arsulu-and in REAL-LIFE none the less-had been real AND the fact that police had gotten involved…

"Well, did I tell you or DID I TELL YOU COPS WOULD GET INVOLVED? You BOTH owe me a dollar!"

The English-accented voice caused me to perk up, my eyes widening as I turned towards the mirror…

Sure enough, Brian was grinning at me THROUGH THE MIRROR, Moha blinking at me at first before suddenly swiveling in Brian's direction…

"Wait, WHAT? Whether or not POLICE WOULD GET INVOLVED? We never bet on that!"

I shook my head, rubbing my temples hard enough so I'd be SURE to pass out…AGAIN.

"Just a dream, just a dream…"

"Kid, you're WIDE AWAKE," said Moha-Samedi's puppet, poking its head out from behind Moha's back, "if you were still asleep, you wouldn't have just woken up talkin' to us now!"

I was about to protest, when I realized…

"Wait…that actually makes sense…and sense isn't supposed to exist in dreams…"

"Exactly! Wait, WHAT are we talking about?" Brian scratched his head mussing his Einstein haircut in confusion.

I shook my head…this-was-NUTS. I sighed as I approached the mirror and leaned on the frame for physical support, "Well, dreaming or not, it's good to see you guys in person again…"

I froze on that comment when noticing the tilted head of the puppet and the obnoxious grin Brian wore on his face.

"Well, YOU anyway," I gestured Moha, who smiled shyly, causing Brian to frown slightly and the puppet to murmur 'aw…'disappointedly.

"Well, it is CERTAINLY a relief to see you too!" Moha said, raising himself up from the seat and walking towards the mirror. He mimicked my motion, leaning against the frame of the mirror. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry…she just tried to intimidate me, but I didn't let her," I assured him, waving my hands defensively. "What about you guys? Getting along, I hope?"

"Well, YOU should know tha…"

We were interrupted by a knock at my door. "Honey, you sleeping? I have your tea!"

NO ONE had time for even a SYLLABIL out of their voice boxes before I had already grabbed the sheet from my bed and flung it over the mirror.

Mom came in with some tea, smiling as she handed it to me and gave me another kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight sweet heart, get some rest tonight, and NO MORE GOING OUT, okay?"

I nodded, exhaling a sigh of relief as she left the room. As I lifted the sheet from my mirror, I saw Brian right in the frame next to Moha, smiling OBNOXIOUSLY AT ME.

Moha gave him a look as he saved my breath by asking, "Why are you looking at them like that?"

Brian shot him the same cheesy grin, "Your Guardian's a MOMMA'S KID," he grinned, that look of selfish, jerkish immaturity made my blood boil…

"OH WILL YOU SHU-"

I stopped when I noticed behind them, "wait…where'd THAT come from?"

As they both turned around, we all saw the small tea set, imprinted with the same patterns of the original Mystere stage, sitting on the table, tea already warm and ready in the pot.

"Huh, you must have wrote it in…or maybe I wrote it…?" Moha shook his head, giving up on the puzzle that had been bothering us since we'd first met. "Ah, well, better to enjoy the mystery than solve it, right?"

"DEFINETLY," I agreed, finally someone who talked my language!

"You wanna join us? I know you've already got some tea, but…" Moha gestured the table, where there were not two, but FOUR cups awaiting (don't forget the puppet!).

"Yeah, right," I scoffed, not trying to sound TOO offending, "As if I'm gonna walk right through the thick, mirror gla-"

As I was saying that, my hand, which had I had moved to lean upon the glass itself, PASSED RIGHT THROUGH, nearly hitting Brian in the face.

I quickly caught myself, shifting my weight as I stumbled back wards and onto my bed. We all looked at each other in shock and surprise…

Moha put his hands up defensively, "Uh…you know I was joking…right? About the 'joining us' part, since…"

"I didn't know you based this off 'Alice in Wonderland!'" Moha's puppet practically shrieked from the couch.

I thought for a moment…"Wait, if I can get in there…can YOU guys get in HERE?"

Moha put his hand on the glass…but his fingers stopped, unable to pass through. "Nope, just you through this side…"

I thought for a moment, 'everything in this story happens FOR A REASON, meaning…'

I looked at my journal, lying on my bed with my bag…

'I HAVE TO GO THROUGH.'

I quickly asked the clown and ringmaster to 'wait a sec,' as I flung the blanket over the mirror once more. I changed into some clean clothes, stuffed my journal into my bag once more…I was ready, THIS TIME to travel into the unknown…of my own DREAM TURNED NIGHTMARE.

I removed the blanket from the mirror…but Moha and Brian weren't there. Just the puppet, waving at me from the couch…

"Guys, you still in there?"

Moha and Brian suddenly peaked from opposite sides of the frame.

"We're waiting, we're just…"

"Giving you PLENTY of space so you don't trample us…preferably ME, like you nearly did LAST TIME," Brian finished, interrupting the emcee once more.

I slowly reached forward and stuck my hand through; the glass seemed to become liquid air at the touch, ripples dancing across the surface. Seeing I was in no danger, I stepped all the way through…

Just like that, my room was nothing but a reflection behind me, the safe haven light room of Mystere a reality…

Moha-Samedi took me in his arms so fast, it made my head spin. "Uh…you okay?" I whispered to him as he held me close.

"Af-after trickster made you disappear, I was worried about you-that something terrible happened to you…ESPECIALLY as I watched you in my dreams…I'm glad you're here with me now, safe…"

He reminded me of mom, in a less annoying, less-pestering sort of way, as he held me close to him. I had to admit, I'd been worried about him too…I returned the embrace.

"AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW…" Brian cooed sarcastically.

Moha shot a glare at him that re-defined the phrase 'if looks could kill.'

"In case you haven't noticed, the message DID say 'you'll need the Guardian's pen and key,' and this IS MY GUARDIAN. So I DON'T want any sarcasm right now, GET IT?"

Brian rolled his eyes, muttering 'whatever' under his breath. 'Not MY fault he's gone from 'straight-man emcee' to 'bisexual love toy…'

"ALL RIGHT THAT DOES IT!" Moha practically FORCED me down onto the couch next to his puppet before LUNGING at Brian, who ducked out of the way.

However, Moha-Samedi was also extremely athletic, landing on all fours and whipping around like a cheetah. I didn't want to get involved (or be used as a shield by Brian, knowing he would use ANYONE or ANYTHING to take a punch), so I grabbed Moha's puppet and hid behind a dresser as Moha chased Brian all over the room.

"WHEE! This is fun!" Moha's puppet cried out as Moha and Brian kept bumping into the dresser as they chased each other around the room. After a while however, I heard the puppet mutter, "Ugh, I don't feel so good…"

"You think you're gonna be sick?" I asked, scooching away a little just in case…

"Aw heck no! I can't get sick! I haven't eaten anything! I can't even eat! No, I usually don't feel good when Pink guy's emotions are about to come crashin' down on him…"

I was about to ask what that meant, when I heard the confrontation go from slap-stick chase to verbal…

"C'mon, pink, take it easy! I said I was sorry!"

"YOU ALWAYS SAY SORRY BUT NEVER MEAN IT! YOU'VE NO IDEA WHAT THIS CHILD AND I ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ME! THIS TRICKSTER-maybe not by his own power-but the THINGS HE DOES TO ME! You don't know what it's like to has his voice in your head, his hands SEARING your skin, every hour, EVERY MINUTE-"

I heard his voice crack a sob- "Every-second…"

Feeling it was safe to come out, I slowly peeked over the dresser. Brian was standing on one side of the table (even during all the chaos, the tea set had MIRACULOUSLY stayed on the table, untouched), and Moha was on the other, sobbing on his knees with his tear stained face in his hands.

Subtly (as to not provoke the poor narrator any longer) I approached Brian and whispered harshly into his ear…

'NOW you see that? At least HE'S man enough to show his feelings! Now you step outside and let us be until he calms down, AND STOP PROVOKING HIM, okay?"

Brian nodded and quickly stepped out. Yeah, that's right; he DIDN'T wanna mess with me…

I approached the sobbing man and whispered 'hey...' to him. His head shot up, he tried to speak, but I shushed him and softly lifted him up, helping him to the couch. I gave him a cup of tea and ordered him to drink it. As he downed it in one gulp, I grabbed a napkin and helped wipe the tears from his eyes.

'Wow, Cirque artists really ARE a race all their own…his makeup isn't even messed up- it really is a part of his skin!' I thought this as I stared at his blurry red eyes while dabbing the tears from his cheeks. Of course, he obviously didn't want me to see him like such, as he immediately hid himself from me by burying his face in my shoulder.

I stroked his hair comfortingly, another parenting trademark I had picked up from my mother. "Don't blame yourself, Samedi," I whispered as I allowed him to sob into my shoulder, "I know you want to take a lot of responsibility for Mystere, but in the end, you always do your best. Besides, you can't keep ALL your promises 100% of the time. During my years in middle school, I promised a lot of my friends who moved away I'd keep in touch with them…but I didn't contact them for A VERY LONG TIME. When I did finally try to get in touch with them, I had either lost their phone numbers, or they'd changed their e-mail addresses…"

I found myself staring into space in a moment of my own thoughts…

"I wonder…do they still see me as their friend?"

Suddenly, Moha's arms wrapped themselves around me in a ferocious bear hug. I grunted in surprise as he grunted "You're such a good kid!" and started singing what sounded like a Cirquish children's song…

"Uh, Moha…you're crushing me…"

He chuckled, his laugh vibrating through his chest and into my eardrums, "don't worry guardian, your friends still think of you, for memories like that NEVER fade away, trust me, okay?"

"Okay…you're still crushin' me…"

He loosened his grip, allowing me to stretch my aching muscles, "Yeah, and your family will be okay too! I know, deep down, once we sort this out, EVERYTHING will be oh-kizzay!"

I raised my fist for a knuckle five, but Moha just flinched…and remained flinching…

"You…why aren't you doing anything? You-you're not going to punch me…are you?"

"No, it's a knuckle five!"

"What's that?"

"You raise your fist, and we punch them together!"

"Why? Why not just a high five?" He raised his palm in correspondence to the question.

"Yeah, that works too," I high fived him, wrapping my hand around his in a solid hand shake as we laughed…

Only, the moment was interrupted by a THUMP from the other side of the room…

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Brian suddenly burst in, "I heard a huge WHUMP! What's goin' on?"

"I don't…" Suddenly, we heard it again, this time, we all looked towards the source…the closet.

"What's goin' on!" Puppet called from the table. It had somehow gotten up there and wrapped itself around the tea set during the drama…

"Not now!" Moha hissed as we all got out our flashlights…Moha and I nodded towards each other as I reached for the handles…

As I whipped the door open, we were (Fortunately) NOT met by Lune Ombres, but the King, his two cohorts, AND Pickpocket, all still garbed in Red and black, squashed together in the closet.

"Hey…little help here my friends?" The Pickpocket just BARELY managed to squeak from under the kings foot…

Brian's grin TRIPLED in size, I felt my eyes twitch, and Moha's eyes twitched as well…right before he fainted on the floor.

*CUT. THANK YOU for bearing through this chapter…in my opinion, it's probably the most BORING one yet…once again, thank you, and I promise it gets better from here.


	14. Control over Chaos

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Control over Chaos

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This story is loosely based off Alan Wake. WARNING: One-sided slash between Trickster and Moha-Samedi.

Well, after FINALLY pulling all four clowns out of the closet AND recovering Moha-Samedi (and retrieving an ice pack for his head…yeah, he hit that floor pretty hard), we all sat down to trade stories over what had happened over the past few hours…

"How did you guys get out of the tower?" I asked the King as I helped Moha, still trying to find a comfortable way to hold the ice pack to his head without freezing his hand off…

"PICKpocket here PICKed the lock of course!" His Highness seemed amused at the pun, as did Pickpocket seem only slightly proud verses being annoyed with a rolling of his eyes. "Yes, but of course, that was NOTHING compared to my previous feats!"

"Yeah, okay, but THAT doesn't explain why we're still here and everyone else is still missing!" Brian called from the closet. After we had to-IMPROVISE, to get the clowns out-we kinda ended up having to resort to taking the door off its hinges…which Brian was trying to fix, since-long-story-short-it was technically his fault. ("Let's yank them out REALLY HARD!")

"Well, I can answer that easily," answered Moha, giving up on the ice pack and placing it down for a second. "Unlike most…TRADITIONAL characters of Cirque Du Soleil's realms, clowns are both involved in the story on stage, but are also able to blend in with the audience. They serve almost as a bridge between this world and that-so technically you have not been affected by the magic that's sent everyone…" He froze on that comment, as if suddenly captured by a thought.

"Where IS everyone in all this anyway?"

"I thought you'd noticed?" I asked him. "Maybe….this is just my thoughts, so PLEASE don't panic…but I think maybe Trickster sent them to sleep somewhere, so they can adapt for the 'new world' of Arsulu…but I don't think they'll be themselves when they wake up, if we let that happen…"

I saw the worried expression on everyone's faces when I made the statement. "But still, y'know…it's just a theory…"

"Still, wherever they are-whether or not your theory is correct, since you and I ARE technically writing this together-they should be safe from all this chaos…"

I couldn't help but notice Moha-Samedi shudder on the word 'chaos.' I guess being one who LOVED authority and control, losing it over to chaos and disorganization was definitely a great fear of his…and now it was turning real, right before our eyes….

I decided to get back on topic; "Well, anyway," I gestured his highness, who was stirring his tea with his index finger, "why are you guys hiding here-and HOW ON EARTH did you get stuck in the closet without us knowing nor noticing?"

"Well…we found this secret passage, and those shadow things were RIGHT ON OUR TAIL…so we rushed through, got stuck, and the next thing we knew, YOU guys were swinging the doors open!"

"Who woulda thought that Teeny-tiny crawl space ended up in a closet?" Asked the bald clown, who was wearing his empty tea cup on his head like a hat, having to slightly raise his voice over the rounder cohort's obnoxious slurping…

As soon as he finished, he 'hiccupped' a little before finally catching his breath and responding…

"Yeah! But it was worth it, so we could find you guys and tell you what we found out!" He hiccupped again…SOMEONE needed to slow down when drinking their beverages…

"YES! After escaping, we found out from the singer that…" The king began…

"WHOA, wait-a-second! Singer? Where'd SHE COME FROM?" I almost screamed at the top of my lungs. This was getting WAY out of the traditional boundaries of the story…

"Oh, yeah, SHE'S the one who gave me the message to give to my cohorts for you to find!" The King said, like a student who had supposedly gotten an answer wrong on a test, but was confident that (with a little explanation) he could make it the right answer.

"Oh," I muttered quietly…

"So wait…there ARE other residents of your world who are hiding from this darkness?" Moha-Samedi asked, suddenly curious…

"Uh…Unfortuanately, she's been incorporated into the tower by Trickster…but we were able to see her so she could tell us where you guys were…"

"Because we REALLY want to help!" The round cohort interrupted the king, bouncing on the couch, nearly knocking his highness off, but managing to send the Bald cohort tumbling onto the ground.

"AHEM."

At that, the round cohort stopped bouncing.

"Thank you," the King said, "now anyway, we ALSO discovered where the Trapeze artist could be…"

THAT peaked Moha's interest. "You know where she is? Where?"

The King fell silent, as though reliving an awkward memory.

"…Somewhere in the tower…but before the singer could tell us exactly where, she started getting antsy and started begging us to leave…so we could seek you out!"

Before Moha could open his mouth to ask more…the power went out. The room was darkened…

"AIIIEEE!" The clowns IMMEDIATELY began to climb on top of one another, scared out of their wits.

"Oh man! We're sitting ducks in the dark!" muttered Brian under his breath as he and pickpocket practically clung to each other for dear life.

"Uh…GUYS," I caught everyone's attention as I pulled out:

-The box of batteries

-A box of flashlights

-and an electric lantern

"THIS will keep the room aglow for a while…" I pushed the electric lantern onto the table in the center of the room,

"THESE will keep each of us safe out THERE," I handed everyone in the room a flashlight (who DIDN'T have one),

"And THESE will make sure we don't run out of power," I gestured the box of batteries. "You can take as many as you like. There are, like, a MILLION of them. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I've got one…" the Puppet's voice called from over by the window door leading down the balcony to the stage. It pointed out the window and over-dramatically shrieked, "WHAT-IS-THAT?"

Moha-Samedi and I rushed over and peeked our heads out the window. Even though most of the theater had gone dark, a strange, purple hue emanated from the Kooza tower…like a skeletal, Halloween haunted house.

"What do you see?" Brian called out from the safety of the room.

"There's…I don't want to describe it as light, but there's some kind of strange, eerie glow surrounding the Kooza tower." I called out.

"Well…that IS where we need to go if we want to find Trapeze…"

The King's voice became an echo in my ears as I felt another memory flash into my head…

Once again, the trapeze artist, being dragged into the darkness of Kooza's tow-

Wait…wha-what was that-that red…

The vision disappeared before I could investigate further…

I quickly turned to Moha-Samedi, so I was balancing on the frame of the window, the audience to my back, him staring down at me…we were face-to-face, dangling out a window.

"Moha, I-I know this might be painful for you…but I need you to remember…the time you tried to save Trapeze, but she got dragged into the Kooza tower…do you remember seeing anything in the dark that might hint to where in the tower she may be?"

Moha shook his head, "I-I could try…" He clenched his eyes shut as he tried to recollect.

After a half-a-minute, I could see the strain coming onto his face. "Moha-it's alright if…"

He put a hand up, and began to lean forward as if he was going to pass out-again. I immediately put my hands on his shoulders-not only to prevent him from falling, but for my own balance…I REALLY did NOT want to fall backwards out of a window…

Instead, however, he grasped my shoulders as well, and pressed his forehead against my own…

I once again saw the flash-back of trapeze being dragged into darkness, only this time it was in slow motion. I saw the skeletal hands on her shoulders and legs, the look of fear upon her face…

Then I saw it…a flash of red in the top right corner of my vision…

'Do you see that?' I asked telepathically…though at first, I wasn't exactly sure who I was talking to…maybe myself?

'See what?' Moha-Samedi's voice echoed through my thoughts…we were communicating telepathically.

'There…in the corner…there's something red-maybe a book cover, it looks like?'

Moha hummed in agreement, 'yes…I see it. I think so…maybe she's in a library?'

Both our eyes flashed open…we were awake again. We nodded to each other in agreement as he pulled me back through the window…only one thing to do.

We turned towards the clowns (who thank goodness had settled down again), and Moha announced,

"We possibly know where she is. We're going to get her…ALL OF US."

The clowns didn't even argue. We all grabbed our flashlights and as many batteries as we needed…and headed out the window.

"Y'know…" Brian began to say as we climbed onto the stage, "we could be walking into a trap…"

We ignored this…because we already knew it…but we HAD to save Trapeze. She was the key to unlocking Trickster's heart from the darkness.

We entered the glowing tower cautiously…the lounge had changed. The Victorian setting had become more skeletal-gothic…I was actually bracing myself for more spooks or monsters to jump out.

Moha put up his hand as a motion to stop as he pointed towards the opposite wall…

"That book shelf wasn't there before," he stated, gesturing a dark, black wood book shelf approximately six shelves high with his flashlight. We looked at each other with knowing glances…

"Secret passage?"

"Agreed," he stated. 'Working with a co-writer who thinks almost exactly like you makes things SO much easier,' I though as I cautiously stepped forward. I examined all the books carefully…no titles or authors, just book bindings or purple, black and navy blue…

Except for the book directly in front of me on the third shelf…it was red…

Just like the flash I had seen in the vision.

I looked back at Samedi…reading my mind, (not literally this time) he nodded. I took the book, slowly pulled it forward…

The book simply fell right into my hand…nothing happened.

"Nothing…that-that did nothing!" I found myself whispering in shock…why hadn't it worked? Don't tell me we were making this even MORE complicated…or even worse, Trickster/Arsulu found dominant control over the story and THEY were making it more complex?

Suddenly, I heard Pickpocket's concerned voice over my shoulder…

"Uh…young friend?'

"Yeah?" My voice was hinted with misery…what did he want now?

"I think-I think something's wrong with him…"

I turned around…and Moha-Samedi's symbols were GLOWING. The pink and black tattoos illuminated through his clothes…but what caught my attention was that he didn't even seem to notice. The man was staring ahead, as though in a trance…his eyes had the same glow as his tattoos…

"Moha…Moha-Samedi!" I cried out to him worriedly, quickly running up to him, tucking the book under my arm and taking his face in my hands, trying to shake him out of it. "Snap out of it! C'mon, man, don't give in, don't give-"

I stopped when Moha's hands grasped my wrists…despite being slightly out of it, he was still able to speak in his own, natural (even if dazed and trance-like) voice…

"No, please…Guardian, I'm fine…I just…I know what to do…Pardon Mua."

He gently moved me off to the side, and approached the book shelf. After a brief second of examining the structure, he pulled out his cane, spun it around and tapped it against four different books…

'Tap,' First the top-center…

'Tap,' Second, the Center-right,

'Tap,' Third, the bottom center…

'Tap,' Finally, the Center-left…

Then he reached behind him, gracefully snatched the red book from my hand, placed it back in its proper place so it was sticking out just a tad…

And RAMMED it in with his cane.

The book shelf shook as it sunk into the ground, revealing a velvet red curtain behind it, no doubt leading to another room…

The symbols on his body stopped glowing as Moha-Samedi collapsed to his knees. We all immediately rushed to him to make certain he was alright.

"I'm alright, I'm fine! I'm just tired…that's all." Moha-Samedi re-assured us.

"How'd you do that, my friend?" Asked Pickpocket, hands in his pockets as he examined the place where a book shelf had once stood.

"I-I don't know…when my symbols started glowing it-it was like…these symbols appeared on the books and…it was like reading a map! Didn't anyone else see them?" He looked at us confused.

After responding with the universal sign for no (aka the shaking of our heads), we helped him up and entered the doorway behind the red curtain…

The library was not ONLY HUMONGOUS, but was obviously a symbol of what Kooza used to be…colorful hues of red, gold, blue, purple and white decorated the beautiful room of bookshelves, making us all feel happiness we never thought we'd feel again since this whole nightmare had started.

"Wow-wow-WOWEE!" the cohorts bounced all over the place in child-like excitement.

"What's with them?" I asked the King, who was smiling a huge, cheesy smile of happiness.

"Well, it's nice to see this place hasn't been twisted," he said happily, in response, I took it.

As I examined the book shelves, I couldn't help but notice a faint echo of something-or someone-moaning from nearby…

I felt my heart leap in my chest as I got closer to the source of the sound, recognizing the voice-yes, it WAS a voice…a female voice! Moha-Samedi and the others must have heard it too, because they were right on my heels…

As we turned the corner, we found a small section surrounded by a circular wall of curved bookshelves that seemed to reach up into the endlessness of a sky pattern ceiling. In the center, there was a HUGE pile of books, all thrown in the middle like someone had been trying to look up something important…and then decided to just use the pile of books as a base to throw a very comfortable looking bed on top…the same bed Trickster had first seduced Moha-Samedi on BEFORE the big Goth-style make-over…

However, it was what-not even what, but WHO-was IN the bed that immediately caught our attention…

"TRAPEZE!" We all practically yelled her name at once as we rushed forward, traversing the HUMONGUS pile of books to reach her.

She was laying on the bed, but something was definetly off…and not just the fact that her ruby costume had been replaced with black, the heart emblem on her chest now a broken heart. Her complexion was pale, and she was moaning weakly…

"Trapeze…mademoiselle…can you hear us?" Moha-Samedi asked quietly.

Trapeze moaned, her voice raked with exhaustion…

"Trickster…my Trapeze…where is my-tra-peze…"

Moha's face suddenly took on a look of alarm… "Young madame, how long have you gone without performance or rehearsal on the Trapeze…?"

She moaned, just barely able to whisper, "Ever since I got dragged into here…can't call my Trapeze in here…so tired…so weak…"

Everyone got worried expressions on their faces. I was confused. "What's going on…why is she so weak?"

Moha-Samedi took a deep breath as he turned towards me to explain; "We Cirque artists may be kept alive and well by the Solstrom in our veins, but only because through Solstrom, the performing arts-magical, theatrical OR Circus/Acrobatic-is our LIVES. If we do not perform, rehearse or practice our talent for quite some time, we eventually become weak, our Solstrom thins out-we can actually DIE through such…for me and the clowns here, our theatrical personalities and talents can be performed anywhere, anytime on a daily bases…but for those with props like Trapeze artists, acrobats and musicians…they CAN be blocked off…"

"Well than what are we waiting for? Let's get Trapeze out of here!" We all nodded and began to lift the unconscious woman off the bed…

However, a HUGE explosion of purple smoke erupted on the other side of the room, causing all of us to brace ourselves, holding onto the bed for dear life as books nearly slid from under our feet…

When the dust cleared, the last man in this dark, twisted world we wanted to see stood on the opposite end of the room, a sly grin upon his face.

Moha's face paled, I felt his hand clench mine as I felt the marking on his hands glow with a burning passion…

"Y-you…" Moha could barely talk, his entire body seemed to defy him as Trickster's presence made his will melt to the mergence binding his Solstrom to the Trickster's will…and the intentions were not anything aside from one fact alone: Trickster wanted him, and he wanted him NOW.

Trickster's smile echoed this fact as he glided across the floor in our direction. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw all five clowns and Moha's puppet squished together, shivering in fright as the air turned to ice…

I only partially noticed, as Moha's burning hands clenched my own, as though BEGGING me to protect him…to help him regain control.

Trickster only stopped moving towards us as he reached the base of the book pile, in which he levitated himself (yes, he could float)so he was eyes level with us…and by us, I mostly mean Moha and myself, still clinging onto the bed in the aftermath of Trickster's explosive appearance.

"Well, well…it's about time I found where you had disappeared too!" the Trickster spoke directly to a shaking Samedi, as if the rest of us weren't even there. He reached a single finger forward to stroke Moha's chin, as if gesturing a pet or plaything, "I've missed you, handsome."

Normally, the clowns would have made a sarcastic comment, but A.) They were shaking with fear (and the sudden drop in temperature), and B.) They now realized the intimidation and seriousness of the scenario Moha-Samedi was in.

I, however, was NOT in the mood to see Trickster's games in person. Without thinking twice, I grabbed Moha's cane from him and whipped it towards Trickster, finding that my own light was surging through it like a tidal wave. "GET. BACK." I hissed at him. He immediately retracted his arms, but looked down at the cane in surprise, as if being threatened by a child armed with nothing but a toy…

Then he looked up at me, his electric blue eyes suddenly glared into my soul, glowing a deep, scarlet shade of red…

"You know…" his whispered, his voice sounding dark and deadly, "I let you back in so you could see things OUR way…but I can't let you continue trying to take away what's mine…"

He seemed to float forward slowly, still glaring me down…I continued aiming the cane towards him, seeing Moha's worried expression out of the corner of my eye…

Suddenly, Trapeze moaned from the bed, catching everyone's attention….except Trickster's as he was still glaring at me…like she wasn't even there…

"Uh, HELLO? Don't you see your Trapeze artist laying here on the bed? She's sick, she loves you…SHE'S the one that needs you now, not Samedi!" I cried, hoping to stop him from coming any closer to me.

Trickster did stop, but simply shook his head. "She's dead, her heart beats no more…and she can never be accepted into this world…" He turned his attention back to Moha, who now stared with a confused expression on his face. "You, on the other hand, are here, alive, breathing…CREATING. We need each other…"

Moha cut him off, "Don't you understand? I don't love you! I'm straight, I like woman! You ALSO like women and YOUR woman is lying here, weak but STILL ALIVE! You can still save her! Please…let me go and HELP HER!"

Trickster shook his head, "Alas, I cannot…as I just said, it's too late for her…she's GONE. YOU are alive, YOU are here…YOU ARE MINE."

I was just about to say something (not that it would do anything…Arsulu's influence had obviously made the Trickster delusional), when I felt Moha-Samedi's hand start to shake VIOLENTLY. At first I was worried it was out of fear, but when I looked at his face, I saw ANGER. His teeth were clenched and he was staring trickster down with fiery eyes…I felt his hand slip from mine, and looked down in time to see him clench it into a tight, furious FIST.

"Y-you...ARSULU!"

Moha-Samedi screamed the witch's name at Trickster's face, which went from sly and serious to shocked and surprised. Everyone in the room stared, confused and caught off guard at the change in the Man in Pink's emotions…

"Arsulu, you horrid, damned WITCH! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! You're the one doing this to Trickster and his world, AND MINE! NOT ME, NOT THE GUARDIAN! In doing such, you have played with my feelings! Yet you've forgotten, NO ONE should DARE to play…WITH FIRE!"

At that moment, Moha-Samedi's hands and arms EXPLODED with flames, dancing up and down his arms and torso, causing Trickster and I to be knocked backwards. The fire spun around him, red, hot and hungry, as he floated off the book pile and down to the ground where Trickster lay, trying to recover from the shock of the moment, blocking his face from the intense heat…

This was not light fire. No, not the calming, blue flames that had first purified us when we first met. This fire was chaotic, angry, and uncontrollable…it was meant to destroy, it's wielder's anger being the source of it's fuel.

"He's outta control!" the puppet cried out in fear. I knew he was right, of course…Some of the flickers of Moha's power were already starting to spread to the ground, turning the indigo blue carpet into a scorched, charred black…it would only be a matter of time before it spread to the shelves of books, and the pile where we were still standing…

Not that Moha cared, in the heat of the moment (no pun intended), all he wanted was to shpw Arsulu his anger, his RAGE…he was tired of being used, abused, and tormented.

Trickster got the message, as he quickly disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

Noting the intensity of the flames spreading across the floor in our direction, I cried out; "MOHA! STOP!"

Whatever was special about me screaming at the top of my lungs, it worked. Moha-Samedi's eyes widened as he realized the INTENSITY of what he was doing…the flames went out, including the ones crawling their way across…well, everywhere.

Moha-Samedi collapsed on the floor…but this time, we all stood where we were. We were afraid of angering him again…

Moha turned towards us, an exhausted, embarrassed look upon his face. He shrugged and muttered…

"Uh…oops?"

"Uh…you okay?" I asked, "What happened?"

"I-I don't know…all this….just now, and back in the library…it's like an outer force is controlling me…" He looked up at me with pleading eyes, "why is this happening to me?"

I shook my head, "I don't know…but if we want to find out, maybe it's time we chatted with someone else who was under Arsulu's spell…by setting him free! Now let's grab the Trapeze artist and get outta here!"

As the clowns helped the Trapeze artist off the bed (I made sure none of them were fondeling her, and even warned them that she WOULD punch them if they did), I helped support an exhausted Samedi out of the library. As I read the lines of exhaustion on his face, I came to a realization (well, actually two realizations);

We had rescued the trapeze artist, meaning we were possibly one step closer to freeing trickster and ending this nightmare…

Yet, there was now a mystery behind the power Moha-Samedi and I had been using to defend ourselves from the darkness…was this power meant ONLY to save…or could it DESTROY as well?

*I'm gonna leave it off here, Next time…Uh oh…SONG MERGENCE!


	15. Exhaustion Dreams

Mystere Du Le Kooza

Exhaustion Dreams

*All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. WARNING: One-sided slash between Trickster/Moha-Samedi, loosely based off Alan Wake. P.S. I've done ALOT of thinking, and instead of song mergence I'm gonna try focusing on "Trickster/Moha' and getting this plotline going!

As we all exited the Kooza tower, I noticed that some of Moha's strength seemed to have returned to him as he began to walk on his own. However, as the rest of us were heading towards the right-stage tower with the light room, he started heading towards the left.

"Moha? Where are you going?" I asked. I was still concerned; he still seemed tired from his 'temper-explosion' back in the library.

He waved a hand towards me, "You go with the others, my Guardian, I have some...something I need to get from my room. I'll catch up."

Normally I would have stopped him…but a few things stopped me…for one thing, he WAS the most stubborn man in Mystere, and I didn't want to anger him and exhaust him any more than he'd already been worn, two, we'd found the trapeze artist, and someone was going to have to make certain she was alright, and three…I was just too tired to argue.

"Alright…be back soon?" He nodded when I asked this, "of course!" He bowed, showing he still had a glimmer of his personality about him, and half-strode, half-urged himself towards his domain.

Once I had reached the light room, the clowns had already made good time, somehow they had brought their swing from the bird cage, and set it up for the trapeze artist to balance herself on. She had obviously wasted no time in doing so, as she now balanced gracefully upon it, the color and character slowly returning to her skin.

"Aaaaaaand she's back!" the King proclaimed joyfully. I smiled as I approached her, "How do you feel."

She grinned, "ten times better than before that's for sure…where is your friend? Shouldn't he be resting after that temper tantrum of his?"

"He had to get something from his domain, he should be back later." I responded, following from a symphony of yawns from the King and his cohorts. "YAWWWWWWWWWWWN…speaking of rest, I'm TIRED!" he muttered, actually going as far to prove such as laying down on the floor, followed by his cohorts yawnful replies of "Yawn, me too! YAWN," as they laid themselves upon the floor.

I turned to trapeze and Pickpocket, but she had, surprisingly, fallen asleep still balanced on her Trapeze, and the pickpocket had made comfortable use of a comfy chair, and recliner tilted all the way back as he snored up his storm.

Feeling tired myself, I decided to join the little 'slumber party' and made myself comfortable on the couch. Just as I had laid myself down, a blanket mysteriously laid itself across me, and I looked up just in time for Moha-Samedi's puppet to slither it's way into my arms.

"Mind if I join ya kid? You're not the only one who dreams about Pink guy." Did the puppet wink when it said that? Either way, a smiled with my reply, "Don't mind at all!" Soon, we were deep in sleep…

…

Moha-Samedi yawned, stretching as he looked around his room, which was still the way he'd left it the last time he'd been in there…though something seemed off somehow…possibly because he hadn't been in there for quite some time. He smiled as he looked about for his things.

'Was it here…no, just some papers, or maybe…no, just clothes…certainly not mine! Once this is over with and I have my old wardrobe back…'

Moha became distressed. Where WAS it? Suddenly, looking at his desk, he saw a single, old-fashioned ink pen he sometimes used… "Oy, how could I forget something as clever of me as that?" The Narrator muttered to himself as he picked up the pen, opened the front drawer, and cleared it of papers. At the bottom of the drawer was a keyhole…but the key was not a mere key. The pen tip clicked the lock open easily, opening the secret compartment to reveal his most sacred prize…

The silver, sun shaped locket was everything to him. He picked it up, the chain wrapping around his hand as he dangled it between his fingers. He clicked open the lock, smiling at the casual portrait of his family inside…Red bird making the peace sign behind the lizards…the singers cradling the children…even la Belle and the Black Widow, being half-sisters, were in a rare moment of love, holding hands and smiling. Down at the bottom corner, between the birds of prey crouched down by Stas the Imp, his best companion, Moha-Samedi saw himself, smiling at his family…

This would not have to be a mere memory, the Man in Pink thought as he closed the locket, gripping it tightly in his hand. It could and WOULD be reality. He would save them…he would save their world.

Looking around his room, Moha decided to spend the night there. Surely he was safe there, knowing where the others were…

He quickly climbed a set of stairs set next to his bed that he rarely used, leading to the platform window on looking the entire theater. Instantly, he pulled out the binoculars he rarely used and looked towards the light room. He saw the trapeze artist balanced on the clowns swing…certainly looking much better, and…wait, she was sleeping on it? That woman had quite some balance! Next to her on the couch, he saw the Guardian's arm hanging over the side…well, everyone was just out for the count, now weren't they? However, at that moment, his puppet suddenly peaked it's head over the couch, waving at him. Moha smiled as he waved back…

Then, something, or SOMEONE, obstructed his vision.

Blue eyes…blotted shadows…a dark smile…

Moha found his hands shaking as he lowered the binoculars, but heard the familiar, smooth voice from directly behind him…

"Say nothing…I know you were angered that I demonstrated my longing for you in front of your friends, but we are alone now…"

Moha felt his voice catch in his throat. Trickster was right…his friends were not there now, it was just him and this…

Trickster's hand grasped his shoulder, rubbing familiar sensations that made his body shiver in fright…and unwanted anticipation.

"Fate has brought us to this moment again…we were made for each other…" Trickster's voice sounded dark, yet robotic…as if his personality were giving into instinctive lust…he wasn't even bothering with words anymore…only seduction…

Moha even found himself losing all track of thought as Trickster kissed his neck, yet at the same time, his mind was fighting, reeling to snap out of it! As Trickster whipped him around to face him, Moha pressed his fists against Trickster's torso, trying to push him away, eyes clenched shut and head reaching far back as far as he could as Trickster's lips reached for his…

Trickster stopped, an arm still wrapped around the Narrator's waist as he stared into the expression on the Man in Pink's face…

"I don't understand this game you're playing."

The Trickster's sudden words jolted Moha-Samedi from his fight as he faced Trickster with a look of confusion upon his face. "Er…what?"

"Don't get me wrong," Trickster continued, arms still wrapped around Moha's waist and back, "your struggling turns me on but…why must you fight? Just where do you intend to run? There's nothing to be gained by running away!"

His hand moved to the back of Moha's neck as he pressed their foreheads together, Moha felt the temperature between them rise to dizzying heights of discomfort on his part…

"Surely, you want this? A world where beings bow before you for creating this magnificent place, rather than toss you away for nothing, hm? Only those who create in this world are respected, and those who witness while creating nothing-like you, no offense-are neglected…if that's not what you want, what is? I only want to give you what you want…"

Moha had to take a moment to exhale as he took a very bold step-after all, Trickster was actually offering him a deal that he could use to his advantage to get out of this mess-and took Trickster's hands into his and simply said; "Trickster, all I want is for our worlds to separate and go back to normal."

Trickster shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid we're WAY beyond that, I mean, we've come so close and there's no REAL going back now, is there?"

Moha got frustrated, shaking as he pounded Trickster's hands, still clenched in his fists, against his own forehead. "I don't WANT our worlds to be one, I just want my world to be Mystere and your world to be Kooza! I want to see MY world, I want to see MY family! Where are they? WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE. WITH. THEM?"

It was then Trickster's turn to take one of Samedi's hands into his, patting it reassuringly, "Worry not about the fellow beings from your side of OUR domain, they're asleep, so they can metamorph and embrace the new world as their home when they awaken."

Moha felt his eye TWITCH at 'our domain,' metamorph,' and 'awaken.' That's three times in a row, even Brian le Petit knew NOT to make the Man in Pink's eyes TWITCH THREE TIMES IN A ROW.

He immediately snapped his hand out of Trickster's…this had gone on long enough…

"WORRY. NOT? That's NOT okay! I don't WANT them to metamorph-whatever! I don't want them turning into something that would fit the holiday of Hallows eve, no I DON'T want OUR domain, I want MY domain, Mystere! Besides, this ISN'T-and yes, I know I've said this before-"

As he went on in this rant, his voice seemed to rise into a yell, a red glow came into his eyes, his hand and arms began to get hot…

"THIS IS NOT OUR DOMAIN, THIS ISN'T YOU, THERE IS NO US, AND YOU NEED TO SNAP OUT OF THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED BY A PSYCHOTIC. JEZEBEL. WITCH!"

At that, his hands (once again) ERUPTED with flames, this time, however, they were limited to dancing up and down his hands and arms, as he suddenly hissed in pain, looking down at his stinging, burning hands in horrified agony…

This time, however, Trickster was not afraid as his hands gracefully reached towards his, grasping them, turning the flames a calm purple. Moha felt his hands not only cease the stinging sensation, but they felt…pleasurably warm, as if he were in front of a warm fire place…

He watched, almost mesmerized as the flames climbed up Trickster's arms, Trickster's eyes closing as he grinned in relaxed pleasure. He then gave Moha a sly, all-knowing look, as he moved a hand up Moha's chest, the other stroking his lips…the flames danced around them, not spreading, simply dancing around them in a blanket of warmth that seemed to pull them closer together, like a magnet…

"You see? This power of yours reacts on your emotions and feelings. Even though your anger is easily triggered, it's so much easier for you to just give into your heart's desire…"

His hands moved back down to wrap around his waist, they were now chest-to-chest as Trickster's eyes stared into Moha's, the man in pink felt as if he were staring into a mirror, the way Trickster's eyes seemed so focused and concentrated on his very being…he'd never seen anyone look at him this way…

Trickster's smile widened at the Narrator's obvious loss is resistance. "See? Isn't this easier? You had nothing to gain or win running from me…you can have anything you want this way…"

His lips grazed against Moha's cheek, his hot breath pouring in waves over the emcee's eardrums, "I can help you control this new magic, I can give you this world in the palm of your hand…I can give you love like you've never experienced with any woman before…"

His lips made their way over his cheeks, but Moha found his arms at his sides like jelly…it was no longer a matter of Trickster's warmth, his magic or whatever it was Arsulu was giving to him to make him feel this way…it was a matter of the words he was whispering, how they echoed in his ear, the way a delicious desert one promised themselves just one bite of lingered on their tongue, tempting them to have more…throughout his whole life, Moha-Samedi had been selfless, giving himself to others over himself…now, someone was offering themselves to him, and were willing to go as far as THIS to prove it…

Trickster's lips were inches away from his, but the mischievous master of Kooza lingered, simply planting light kisses at the corners of the narrator's mouth…he wasn't going to let him have fun yet…

"I've marked you as far as I need to, my beloved narrator…but this time, I need something from YOU." His whisper washed over the man like he was on the verge of drowning…

Moha, still dazed and slightly breathless from the tension, simply tried to speak, but found his voice not working, "Wha-what…"

Trickster simply shushed him with another kiss at the corner of his mouth, "It's nothing much…you know, if I need you, you need me? I've already marked you just about everywhere except your legs…"

At this, the Trickster's leg rubbed against his, sending cold-chills down the narrator's spine.

"However, in order for us to be even, this time in our love-mergence, I need YOU to mark ME."

Moha's eyes actually widened at that, snapping him out of Trickster's hypnotic touch long enough to realize what Trickster was suggesting, "Y-you mean…everything you've done to me, with these," he noted his shoulders and chest, which Trickster responded too by running a single finger down his chest, sending even more vibration down his body, "y-you w-want me to do that t-to…"

Trickster nodded with a soft "mhm…after all, it wouldn't be fair if YOU were the only one walking around with those sassy marks, hm? After all, we're BOTH creating this realm, and besides…"

Trickster's arms grasped his waist once more, roughly pulling him forward, chests pressed together, hearts beating rapidly against each other's as Trickster stared into his soul with a longing that made Moha's mind and limbs go weak again…

"I WANT you to TAKE ME."

These words seemed to possess Moha like Trickster's words never had before, as his hands slid up Trickster's arms, wrapping around his shoulder, as he allowed one hand to move down to Trickster's hip before wrapping around HIS waist and bring them even closer, so there was barely a sliver of room between them…the purple fire light continued to glow and dance around their seemingly merged bodies as their lips remained inches apart, Moha felt his breathing increase…he'd never felt like this with another man before, so empowered, yet so weak…so at a loss, yet so in control…

Trickster seemed to realize this, his breath hitching with pained pleasure as Moha's fingers slid through his fiery, red-spiked hair, grasping it and positioning him so their lips were barely…

"Please, Moha-Samedi, please…"

At this two things seemed to turn Moha on…one, that someone was BEGGING him, and two…someone had finally called him by his name…HIS NAME. No one EVER called him by his true title, it was always "pink guy," or "the narrator" etc. Sure, Trickster had used his name once or twice before, but never had he thought…they were so close to each other…SO CLOSE. Unlike himself, all rational thought seemed to slip from Moha's thoughts as Trickster whispered…

"TAKE ME."

Their lips crashed together so fast, Trickster was barely able to focus enough in time to quickly super-speed teleport them over to them bed as they fell onto it.

Moha's lips were so hot upon his, Trickster couldn't help but wonder WHY he hadn't tricked him into taking him before? After all, he was the one afraid of losing control, and this helped him open up so much more nicely. Their mouth parted temporarily for a breath, and Trickster was pleasantly surprised to see the man in pink looking into his eyes, exhaustion and surrender upon his face as he continued running his fingers through Trickster's red hair…he couldn't help but return the motion, fingers slipping through the slightly messed brown hair that had been hidden under a pink bowler hat for so long…

Moha-Samedi's heart was racing…this warmth surrounding him, Trickster's lips breathing heavily against his own…but this wasn't him, this was…

"Ar-s-su-lu…"

Trickster sighed, he was snapping out of it again…time to end the charade…

"There IS NO Arsulu…yes, there is a witch in all this, but not her…"

"Er…WHAT?"

(_Uh-oh! Sudden and random plot-twist alert!)_

Trickster sighed, leaning on his elbow as he gazed down at a still breathless, yet now extremely confused man in pink…

"I-I found out that Arsulu is just…a puppet. She is an empty shell being used to manipulate you…and me. This isn't about you any more…it's about us. You are in danger as long as she uses me to get to you, so I played along. But you aren't one for games, and this is one that I'm getting quite bored with…I want to keep merging our realms in order to save them from this witch…or whoever the REAL witch is, but in order to restore balance to both domains, you need to have power over me, just as I have over you."

"…and You're telling me this NOW because…?" Samedi was EXTREMELY confused now, but too exhausted to be mad…so Arsulu wasn't even REAL? Or, at least, someone was making her seem real, but…? Confusifying, much? VERY.

Trickster didn't respond right away…he just reached a hand up to stroke the man in pink's cheek, "because of what happened in the library. When you…EXPLODED like that, it was unlike you…it was more like me. I realized I was setting you out of balance, and if I kept playing along with her little game…both our worlds could fall apart. You can't just be in my power, I need to be in yours, too."

Samedi glared at him as he whispered, "but how do I know I can trust you?"

Trickster sighed as he laid back down, hands behind his head as he murmured softly, almost venerably;

"You and I are different, you're loyal, responsible, blunt-honest…and yet you have to struggle to get the authority and respect you deserve. Me, I'm a malicious liar and Trickster by nature as well as title, and I can make an entire realm of MY creation bow down to me with a wave of my hand…and I probably don't even deserve it! However…" He leaned back on his elbow, observing the still confused and shaken narrator with some longing curiosity. "It's obvious we're also quite alike, you and I…we both want to save our domains, our homes…our families. Yet, in order to do that, we NEED each other, to trust and guide eachother…I've gone in way to deep to Arsulu's…or, whoever is controlling her…I've gotten in way to deep. I need you to help me Samedi…I'm practically begging…"

He reached forward to take the stunned man's face in his hand…

"Help me…"

Samedi felt his body shake, partially in fear, partially in amazement…

"Save me…"

Trickster had been playing him…he'd TRICKED him…but for his own safety…and now he wanted him to SAVE him?

"I need you to take me…as I have taken you…I promise I will not have to mark you again after…"

Still, he thought as he closed his eyes in confused thought, it made sense, sort-of…still, how would he explain this to the others…?

"Help me Samedi."

Suddenly, Moha's eyes, which had been clenched shut, shot open at a familiar, feminine voice, and it was no longer trickster sitting next to him…

"La Belle?"

The beautiful, pure-hearted dancer of light lay before him, smiling up at him,

"Belle…what are you…how did you?"

"Samedi, I needed you…I've finally found you…" She rose up and laid herself on top of him, hands on his chest, gazing into his eyes…

"Belle, I…is this a dream?"

"Maybe…but I don't want to wake up from it…do you?"

"No…" Samedi whispered, his hands wrapping around her waist, "but I thought you were with Gabriel?"

"Gabriel isn't here…he's the one who helped me find you…please, I want you…"

"Belle, I-I love you…"

"Moha-Samedi…" He lips softly brushed against his, and he immediately crushed their lips together…oh, Aphrodite how he'd waited for this moment…

As he pinned her down beneath him on the bed, all he could think was finally expressing his love to this beautiful woman whom he'd loved for so long before him…her heart and his were open, full…he was hers, and she was his…

Wait, something was wrong…why did her feminine waist suddenly feel firm? Why did he feel his markings suddenly reacting to her…why did he suddenly feel that all he had to do was blow on her, and she could just…disappear?

Suddenly, he found himself pulling his lips away, and gazing down at the face of NOT his beautiful belle, but the exhausted, blushing face of Trickster once more…

Normally, this was the part where Samedi would get angry, screaming in Cirquish 'WHY would you DO THAT? You know how I feel for her, NEVER in a MILLION life-times would I-EVER-!'

Yet the expression on Trickster's face stopped him…his eyes were closed, face blushed, so passionate and…strangely vulnerable…it seemed very out of character for this strong, enigmatic illusionist to appear so…vulnerable. It left the narrator speechless…was this turning him on?

Trickster's eyes opened half-way, his voice breathless as he whispered, "Sorry, I-I thought, it would be easier for you t-to open yourself to-someone you really cared for. I understand…if you're angry…"

Samedi shook his head, feeling his own face blushing as he whispered, "No…strangely, no, just…confused. Why am I suddenly NOT feeling angry but…as if, I-"

"You-you want this," Trickster whispered, still breathless, reaching a hand onto Moha's shoulder, gripping it tightly to get a grasp onto something solid to stop the room from spinning, "to take me…as I have taken you, we NEED balance, even though your heart and mind are saying no…your lips, your hands, your very body and Solstrom…are saying yes. Please…I can't hold myself back…just take me…I'm asking you not as a lover…but as a partner."

"As…a friend?" Samedi asked, as though the answer would determine his next action.

"If I say yes…you won't leave and doom us both, would you?"

Samedi thought about that for a moment…at least, he made it SEEM like he was thinking about it…he didn't want Trickster reading him like a book anymore…he knew Trickster was actually opening himself up to him, but Moha didn't want to be a jerk about it. After all, Trickster was right…even if they weren't LOVERS per say, they needed to save their realms from the darkness…the sooner this got over with, the sooner these strange, lustful feelings were worn out, the better.

With that, Samedi simply, quietly replied, "You know what? I-I'm tired of talking, and thinking, and…sometimes, words just aren't enough…"

Trickster smiled, that ever knowing smile that Samedi recognized all too well…

"Then stop talking."

As their lips came together once more, the narrator and the trickster felt all thought seep out of their heads, Samedi's fingers working to undo the buttons of Trickster's shirt and jacket. However, Trickster's hands suddenly reached down and pulled them away, "allow me," he whispered breathlessly, snapping his fingers to cause jacket, shirt and tie on both men to disappear…

Trickster's eyes glistened as he once more ran his hands up and down the familiar markings he'd placed onto the narrator's body, bringing out a familiar moan from the man in pink…Trickster felt his heart race, knowing that, FINALLY, even if for some temporary time, he'd be sharing the same spiritual bindings with someone…very special…he immediately grasped the narrator's hands in his, causing him to fall and have to catch himself on his elbows as trickster kissed those hands that would soon be giving him pleasure, hopefully, maybe even more than once…

Trickster pulled Moha's hands onto his chest, softly then reaching up to pull the emcee's head forward to whisper into his ear, "Take me…I want this so bad…I want you…touch me…please…"

Moha felt a shiver go down his spine, Trickster was COMPLETELY out of rational thought right now, lust and adrenaline running his body…or was it Arsulu-or whoever's-magic controlling him? He didn't have time to ask, as Trickster stared into his eyes, but didn't even bother with allowing the stunned (and now slightly freaked) narrator to speak as he quickly whispered "KISSME" and plunged himself forward, hungry lips latching onto his own…

Trickster moaned into the man's mouth, forcing his lips open, exploring every corner with his tongue, trying DESPERATLY to turn this powerful (even more than he knew) ringmaster on so he would take him…

Samedi knew that Trickster wouldn't stop till' he reached his release, so he immediately began to rub his hands up and down the Trickster's body, feeling energy build up as he continued to allow trickster to practically eat him out, still delving his tongue in and out of his lips…

Trickster moaned into Samedi's mouth as he FINALLY felt the satisfactory aura flow into his body…oh, had good it felt to allow someone else to take him, instead of taking someone else…he could finally repay his debts, set his realm and Samedi's straight again, and experience pleasure while doing so…

Moha felt his hands rubbing faster as energy and pleasure continued to fill his hands, his heart, his very Solstrom…Trickster's mouth unlatched from him as he pressed his head against the pillow, moaning, "yes, yes, oh GODS yes, please, faster, faster…"

Moha felt his own breathing grow heavier as he obeyed Trickster's pleas…they were close, so very close, and yet so far…Trickster's hands grasped his shoulders, rubbing the marking their with such intensity, as if their pleasure were as own, Moha felt his hands on the verge of exploding, shaking and vibrating with warmth, pleasure, longing…

"Ah, ah, AH…!"

Trickster's voice was echoing in his ears, his own markings were GLOWING, sending light down his arms and into his hands, he found himself swooping down, pressing their bodies together…but at the same time, he wanted to try something the two times trickster had taken him…he wrapped an arm around Trickster's back, rubbing his energy from behind, while still rubbing his chest with the other…he felt Trickster arch his back, their chests pressing together, causing warmth from Moha's chest to intensify both their pleasure as Trickster's lips capturing his again and on hand continued rubbing Moha's shoulders, the other wrapping around his waist to rub the markings on his back…

Soon, the rhythm was gone, and Moha felt himself coming EXTREMELY close to a climax…he knew Trickster was to, as they presses their bodies closer together, Trickster's body arching higher and higher off the bed…

"Yes, yes, YES…!"

Trickster cried out into his mouth as they both came, Moha's markings FLASHED as his light seeped into Trickster's body, surrounding them both in magenta and purple light…Trickster grasped Moha to him as tightly as he could, allowing Moha's Solstrom to embrace him, surrounding him, possessing him…at that moment, they were one being, one master…one soul.

The moment eventually (from their point of view) faded as they collapsed in each other's arms Normally, Moha would have been upset, but instead he felt exhausted…yet contempt. He'd finally regained control…and despite the fact that, at the same time, he'd lost some of it, for some reason, he didn't care.

He looked over to Trickster, a cat-like grin on his face, eyes closed with passion and relief. He too, was contempt. He opened his eyes, tired and all knowing, grinning at him. Moha, for some reason, weakly smiled back before allowing his own eyes to close…yet, he couldn't help but mutter out one simple question…

"Is this a dream?"

Trickster couldn't help but chuckle, still exhausted, allowing his own eyes to close before responding,

"I don't know…you tell me….NARRATOR."

(_Faints from Solstrom overload_)


	16. Stuck in the Middle

Stuck in the Middle

_***All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. This is loosely based off Alan Wake.**_

My eyes flashed open after the dream I just had...any other student my age would have probably gone 'WHAT THE (Adjective) WAS-?' But...instead, I found myself...strangely at peace with the plot twister in this strange tale...Trickster WASN'T on the bad side of this story...Arsulu WASN'T real...Moha-Samedi had somehow awoken his light, the gift we shared, through some strange sort of acceptance...

I looked around the room...everyone else, INCLUDING Moha's puppet, was still asleep...after a few moments of contemplation, I made up my mind on my next course of action, quietly getting up...

I soon made my way out the door, and found myself climbing down ONE tower and crossing the stage to the opposite, Stage-right tower, noticing the Bataclan of Kooza, despite being reverted to its colors of gold and red, looked slightly dull...perhaps a symbol that both these merged realms were yet to be restored...?

I climbed my way up the Stage-Right mountain-balcony-tower, like I'd seen Moha-Samedi demonstrate, and climbed up the stairs till' I was beneath the window to Moha's domain...

I suddenly felt reluctant...do I DARE intrude on the Narrator of Mystere and make him realize he'd shared bed (Not in the traditional sense, but still) with the Trickster of Kooza? What would his reaction be? Or...what if it HAD all been a dream, and Moha was alone in his bed, the possessed, Lust-crazy Trickster still around-?

Yet I knew that, as fearful an emotion supplied by these thoughts, that fear would only hold me back...taking a deep breath, I climbed up the wall-ladder to Moha's window, and without knocking, I silently slipped the window-door open...

Sure enough, there was Moha in bed, enwrapped in the Trickster of Kooza's arms…both looked content and peaceful…like two children after play…

I cautiously crept closer, and saw that across Trickster's torso were purple markings similar to Moha-Samedi's, only…well, purple. My dream HAD been a vision…Moha and Trickster-

No, no NO! Moha didn't like Trickster THAT WAY! Moha just…Trickster...he-!

Although, as much as Moha-Samedi would HATE to hear me say it, he and Trickster didn't seem to make a bad couple either…

"Admiring me, Guardian?"

My eyes widened as Trickster grinned at me, White-Blue eyes sparkling in amusement...I felt my hands IMMEDIATELY shot up to my mouth to keep from gasping and awakening Moha…Trickster chuckled at my reaction, laying on his back, hands behind his head.

"Don't worry, Guardian, he won't wake for a while…until then, I suppose you have some questions?"

I kinda froze at that…I hadn't thought of them being awake and talking to them…

"Oh…well I…Uh…"

Trickster chuckled, " WELL…if you can't figure out anything to ASK…why not just lay down a while?'

"….Er…WHAT?"

Trickster gave me a 'You heard me' look as he moved over and patted a vacant spot between him and Moha…my face went RED as a lobster at the very IDEA-!

"UH-UH-I-DON'T-UH-!"

Trickster chuckled again, "RELAX, Guardian…if ANYONE is going to be pulled into bed with me for ROMANTIC purposes, it's HIM," He gestured the still sleeping Narrator, "But with You…well, it's simply so when Moha awakens, we can ALL talk about our plan of action…now…you want to lay down and wait with us?"

Well…I DID want answers…and I was certain Moha did too…so, VERY cautiously, I climbed from the bottom of the bed between the Narrator of Mystere and Trickster of Kooza, shyly laying down…I had to admit, the sheets WERE soft…

"Comfortable?" Trickster asked, looking at me, still laying on his back…I nodded shyly.

"Good…if you need a nap, take one…I'll wake you when the Narrator is" He winked at me before shutting his eyes…I did feel a little tired still…I felt my eyes close…

…

…

"WHAT THE _AJDG UDHYS BDTG_ IS-?"

My eyes snapped open…and stared in shock into Moha's shocked, brown eyes…yep, he was wide awake…

"Oh, yes…he's awake," Trickster said calmly, a hint of amusement in his voice…

"WHAT IS MY GUARDIAN DOING IN OUR-Er…MY BED?" Moha screamed at Trickster over me…apparently he remembered why Trickster was in his bed…just didn't realize that I had come in…

"They were just checking up on you…RELAX Moha…" Trickster chuckled, patting me on the head and leaning over to…!

But Moha pushed Trickster away BEFORE the Illusionist of Kooza had a chance to peck the narrator on the cheek…

"NO…NO-NO-No-NOOOO! NOT in front of THEM!" Moha hissed, gesturing me…then pausing mid-beat to take Trickster's hand off my head…

"….Uh…." This was VERY awkward for me…but I couldn't help but find it hilarious as well…

Moha sees Trickster's love in DENIAL…

Trickster sees Moha as TEASING…

And I was LITERALLY in the middle…

It was actually kinda funny…MINUS the Light verses Dark scenario…

"Fine, NARRATOR," Trickster purred, taking his hand off my head, giving both Moha and myself some breathing space, "I believe our dear Guardian was aware of enough of our little scenario last night to want to know MOST of what's going on?"

"WH-?" Moha's eyes widened as his attention focused on me, "YOU DFREAMT_?"

"Uh…Yeah, sorry," I chuckled nervously, "Dreams…they come and go, y'know?" I felt nervous…but instead of getting mad, Moha put a hand to his face and sighed in exasperation, "This is Dis-Organized WAY beyond control-!"

"Moha…you can't control how everything in the world works…its okay, really! I understand, "I glimpsed at Trickster's marking, "Everything needs balance…order needs chaos…day needs night…light needs dark," I turned over to face Trickster, "Speaking of which…YOU said Arsulu was 'just a puppet,' …what did you-?"

Trickster sighed, running a hand through his fiery red hair, "Yes…I believe I owe an explanation for how I worked myself into this place…from MY point of view, anyhow…she came to my world as a "Regular Intern," who had MANY "ideas," But she was truly something darker…so I pretended to fall for her brainwashing seduction…and I came here, hoping to use my own powers to twist her plan…only to realize a more powerful magic was using HER to control ME…I nearly lost myself to the darkness…and…and I…I'm sorry narrator…"

As Trickster put his face in his hands, Moha and I couldn't help but share a look of pity, we hadn't realized just how far Trickster had allowed himself to fall into the shadows…just to save all of us!

"I-It…it's okay Trickster…" Moha murmured, obviously feeling guilty yet sympathetic, "I-I didn't know-"

"You weren't supposed to know," Trickster murmured…then he looked at me, "But NOW…the TRUE story of how our worlds TRULY merged…how I was brought here…by an outside force…lies in YOUR mind, Guardian."

I blinked, confused, "ME?"

"yes…tell me Guardian, what do you remember about the start of this whole story?" Trickster asked, balancing himself on an elbow. I thought about that…and thought, and thought…I couldn't…no-!

"I-I can't remember! All, all I remember is dreaming about YOU (Gestures Trickster) coming to Mystere…and dreaming it all…up to when YOU seduced Moha a second time...then I woke up…and there was the beginning of the tale on my desk…almost as if it was writing itself!"

I saw Moha and Trickster share a glance of concerned confusion over my head.

"Well…THAT certainly helps," Moha moaned, his face burying itself into a pillow.

"There, there, Samedi," Trickster seemed to coo, not teasingly, but sincerely, "the child is probably just as much a victim in this as we are! After all…the darkness DID try and target them in the real world!"

It's true…as soon as Trickster said that, flashes of Arsulu in her doctor's uniform, pinning me against the desk flashed in my mind…I shook the visions out, trying to ignore it…

"So…when do we tell the others that you're NOT in psycho-brainwashed state after all?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Trickster simply smiled, hands behind his head, "Well…we're in no hurry, are we? I'm certain you're both still tired?"

Moha and I shared a look…I nodded, agreeing with the Trickster. I still was a little tired.

"Yes…I suppose more rest would suffice…" Moha murmured. And just like that, Trickster's eyes were shut…

Moha sighed and whispered in my ear, "Don't get NAY ideas from what you saw in that dream…PLEASE! DON'T-!"

"Moha, RELAX, I KNOW you only did it to help Trickster as a partner and team-mate of sorts…NOT romantically…just RELAX! I'm here between you guys…Literally! Just go to sleep!" I assured him. Moha sighed, rolling onto his side, arms folded…I sighed as I stared at the ceiling, between a very charming, relaxed Trickster and an uptight, anxious Narrator…with myself stuck in the middle.

_***And WHAT DO YOU KNOW? ANOTHER CHAPPIE DONE! Next chapter…Revelation dreams reveal what REALLY happened in the modern world, from YOU, the GUARDIAN/READER'S point of view, to make this strange mergence-haunting of two worlds happen!**_


	17. Dreaming the truth

Dreaming the Truth

_**All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. Sorry for taking so long on this…I'm going to try and work on this a little more…all story line elements from ALAN WAKE belong to that story…some storyline concepts from the game CATHERINE coming up in later chapters!**_

…

_.._

…

_I awoke in my room…_

_As I stretched, feeling slightly groggy yet well-rested, I realized I couldn't fathom what day it was, or how long I'd been out...it was like I'd been asleep for an eternity…_

_Yet as I got up, I suddenly saw MYSELF…at the MIRROR…alrady DRESSED!_

…_Was I…witnessing a past memory from a second person perspective? I HAD to be, as I watched myself walk out the door, supposedly to get the mail (my mom had work that day) _

_And HE was there…my FRIEND TURNED RIVAL…_

"_HEY LOSER." Was his first response._

"_What do YOU WANT?" I groaned, "I'm TIRD of seeing you-"_

"_Yeah, well, I'm tired to," he said with a smug grin, as if returning conversation, "In FACT, I've been up ALL NIGHT, BASKING in reviews…so I came by to TAHNK YOU…"_

"_What are you…TALKING about?" I asked, confused…why would he want to THANK me-?_

'_WELL, let's just say YOUR fanfic undr MY profile is getting' LAOT of attention" He grinned, a smug grin that absolutely RPELLED my look of confusion…_

_Which slowly morphed into an expression of shock at the realization of ANY fanfiction writer-NO…AND WRITER'S worst nightmare…_

"_No…You…DIDN'T!" I gasped as I ran back into my house, mail forgotten as my rival rode off on his bike, cackling…_

_I followed my past/flashback-self inside, into my bedroom, where I was frantically typing on my computer, pulling up my rivals profile…_

_And I watched, memories and emotions bubbling back to the surface as my past self fell to their knes…_

"_N-NO…he-he StOLE..m-my-!" I sobbed…I felt the anger…the frustration..the upset desperation…how could I have FORGOTTEN how…HORRIBLE I'd felt…how ANGRY I was towards what he'd done-?_

"_What'ssssss WRONG CHILD?"_

_I gasped, my past-self whipping around to the mirror…_

_Where a certain woman in black with blonde hair stood.._

_ARSULU…_

_But I didn't know that then…I only saw a creepy looking woman in the mirror…_

"_Who...WHO ARE YOU!" was my response…afraid…thinking I was going crazy…_

"_Who I AM…is NOT important…what IS important is that HE stole YOUR story…and that I can help you GET IT BACK…" she whispered…her voice low and lethal…_

_Yet at that time, like a spell, it was WHAT she was saying that captured my attention...NOT HOW she said it…_

"_get…back…my…story?" I asked…_

"_NOT ONLY THAT…I can help you make a BETTER tale…a tale of TWO WORLDS…worlds of POWER, MAGIC AND HEART…MERGED into ONE…" she whispered, smiling…stepping from the mirror…my past-self backed against the desk…where some writing paper lay…._

"_Can…you…I…I mean-?"_

"_SSssshhhhhh…" She shushed me, fingers against my lips, turning me around… "WRITE, my child…the story will not ONLY gain eyes off your rival…but it will COM TRUE…and ALL will be YOURS…"_

_As he icy voice hissed and whispered, I saw my Past-self's eyes glaze and become trance like…._

"_Y-YS….I'll write…I'll make it BETTER…I'll MAKE IT WORK..."_

_My past voice sounded…dead and entranced as they picked up the pen and wrote…as I watched thm start to write, Arsulu turned to where I was…_

_Then was suddenly in front of me….hissing "YOU-!"_

And I awoke with a cry, shooting up out of the bed-!

A Cry which caused the Trickster's eyes to snap open and Moha-Samedi, with a surprised yelp, to fall off the bed…!

"Guardian…are you alright?" trickster asked calmly as I panted feverishly, shocked at what I'd just seen and overwhelmed by memories suddenly coming back…as I raked my hands through my hair…

"G-GUARDIAN…! What is it?" Moha-Samedi scrambled up to my side, clearly worried….

"I-I…" I trembled as the truth of my dreaming episode caught up to me, "I wrote it…I WROTE IT…IT'S MY FAULT-!"

"Wh-what-?" Moha asked….

As I tried to calm my panic attack, I told them EVERYTHING that I remembered now…under "Arsulu's" influence, I'd written MOST of the story of Mystere and Kooza coming together, "Arsulu's" influence and "editing" ensuring that her power plunged both worlds deeper and deeper into her dark power…but some part of me had been aware enough to write MYSELF into the story…somewhere after Trickster and Moha's second one-sided Solstrom mergence (that's what I called it). And of course, I'd HAD to write an escape route BEFORE the story was finished, where darkness consumed BOTH worlds, with EVERYONE in it…

_There was a flash in the room that has suddenly knocked me out of the trance…the darkness I'd been trapped in for so long was suddenly illuminated by the silhouette of a woman…yet what she was saying to me seemed…slightly chopped up…with a buzzing, ringing in my ears.._

"_IT isn't here now, Guardian Muse…Guardian of tales, Muse of Inspiration…inspired by Cirque Du Soleil…my universe…my CREATION…you MUST finish the story YOUR way…but not like this...the story and your own soul…along with the soul of the Narrator of Mystere…and the cover of the Trickster's illusion…can ONLY be safe in your SUBCONSCIOUS…their world is being affected by your story NOW…as we speak…the Ombre Witch wanted to wait until you were a good ways under her power before setting the prologue into motion...you'll only be safe in subconscious sleep, to witness the story from a spiritual point of view, before you can come in…for now…SLEEP…"_

…

…

And that was how I'd witnessed this crazy tale's beginning from when Trickster arrived in Mystere…and now here we were…because of ME…

"I wrote it….it-it's MY FAULT…."


	18. No Faults?

NO Faults…?

_**All elements of Mystere and Kooza belong to Cirque Du Soleil. Storyline inspired by ALAN WAKE with just a splash of the game CATHERINE coming up!**_

My breathing came out in heavy pants…upset and frustrated, I had just repeated my tale to the REST of the "MdlK Refugees," or so the pickpocket, Brian Le Petit, the King and his lackeys, who I learned now were named Side and Kick, had decided to name our little group, in the snack-bar hall of the Mystere theater…the ONLY safe place OFF-STAGE we could reach from the stage…

"I-I wrote it…it's my fault," I repeated, my voice in a distressed, slightly raspy whisper.

"It's NOT your fault Guardian! How many times have I said this?" Moha-Samedi's voice cut through my self-pity-guilt as he bent on a knee beside me, hands on my arms, making me look him in the eye…eyes which, I had noticed, has morphed from brown to violet (a side-effect from his Solstrom mergence with the Trickster, perhaps?) and now gazed directly into mine as he stated, quite boldly…

"IT. IS. NOT. YOUR. FAULT!"

"He's right, Guardian of Mystere and Kooza," the Trickster chimed from behind me, hands on my shoulders in comfort, "It is NO FULT of YOURS…it is that TEMPTRESS who tried to play us all…"

"But HOW? I mean…HOW is she even able to DO THIS?" Trapeze asked, showing confidence in STILL balancing on her trapeze (Still recovering from having been stripped away from it for so long) yet having a voice filled with fear and anxiety, "I mean…she DID trick YOU…and HIM (pointing to Samedi) AND ALL OF US-!"

"CALM DOWN trapeze," Trickster said, "just because she tricked us BEFORE doesn't mean we can't get the upper hand on her NOW…."

"Yes, but HOW?" Brian asked, wanting to get a word in, "She could be ANYWHERE now! And what could WE possibly have to REPEL HER? …LIKE….FAR AWAY…FOREVER?"

"We could arm ourselves with a CATAPULT!" Kick, the roundish lackey of Kooza's King stated;

"OH! Or a CANNON!" Side, the bald-headed lackey chimed in…

"OOOOOOO! A CANNON-CATAPULT! How EXCITING!" the king obnoxiously cackled…

"NO! NO Catapult, NO cannons….NO…uh," Moha froze, thinking, "Yeah...no…WHATEVER! NONE OF THAT!"

"Moha-Samedi, CLAM" Trickster chimed.

"I AM CALM!" Moha practically burst out before sighing and raggedly laying his head on my shoulder…I sighed and playfully pet him on the shoulder…but when Trickster did the same, Moha gave him a look…and so did Trapeze. THIS was going to be a LONG meeting….

Or so I thought until we were interrupted by a knock on the door!

"OH-! Is that…another survivor?" Moha asked, sounding almost hopeful…

"COULD be…" Said the Trickster, sounding cautious

"Well WHAT AR YOU WAITING FOR Friend? OPEN THE DOOR! CHOP-CHOP!" Pickpocket clapped and snapped his fingers, regarding me like a servant.

"PICKPOCKET! Leave the Guardian alone!" Trapeze snapped, clearly the only one who could control Pickpocket...FACE-TO-FACE, anyhow…

Either way, I WAS going to open the door anyway, as I got up and was already making my way over…

"Hello?" I called through the door…no answer…

"WHO'S THERE…?" STILL no answer..

"….FRIEND OR FOE?"

…the silence was both eerie…and annoying…so I decided to just LOOK…

I opened the door…..AND…

NOTHING…NO ONE…

At least...not on THAT side-

"_HELLO."_

The yelps and screams of shock and horrified surprise rang out behind me-!

And when I whipped around, SHE was staring me in the face…

**Sorry these chapters have been kinda short folks…wanna kinda move along the action SOON…ANYHOO! Thanks to Thalia-Dawnbringer from deviantart for the names for the King of Kooza's lackeys! :"D**


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